"Hello, this is Josef..."

Two nights ago a refugee called me whom I had lost contact with. He had moved away 6 months ago and I didn't know where he was. I had an idea, but I didn't know how to reach him.

Sure enough, Josef called me up to say that he had moved in with his Austrian girlfriend and they had just had a baby. Josef grew up in a Christian home in Africa. We have talked a lot in the past about trusting and following Jesus. This is important to him.

Now as I spoke with Josef on the phone, we talked for over an hour again about the Christian faith -this time about whether he should baptize his child! (If you are interested in knowing what I said, please leave a comment and I'll give you the details.)

Josef comes out of a Christian context -yes Africa. To think about faith issues is part of life for him. Interestingly, I also spoke with his Austrian girlfriend on the phone. She said, "I am not religious, but I want to support Josef."

Two things strike me about all of this. For one, here is a life and a situation that needs redeeming. In all its complexity, it is not out of bounds for Christ. This is Christ's workshop. Second, perhaps you can feel it, but it is easier to work and support the African refugee in this situation than it is the Austrian. This is Europe.