Discussion Questions

Randall describes Lesvos as a “natural bottleneck” where refugees are increasingly “stuck” because fewer are being accepted into other EU countries; what does that situation reveal about God’s heart toward people who become trapped by forces they can’t control, and how should that shape the church’s posture toward them? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If refugees are stuck in Lesvos because they can’t move on, what does that show about how God cares for people trapped by things they can’t control? How should the church treat them because of that?

Randall says he and his family “feel at home” in Lesvos and didn’t go for scenery even though it’s beautiful; what does it look like to receive a place and people as “home” without romanticizing suffering or using mission work for personal fulfillment? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it mean to call a place and its people “home” without making their suffering seem beautiful or using mission work to make yourself feel good?

When Randall explains refugees crossing borders “after night, fleeing gunfire,” how does hearing those kinds of journeys challenge comfortable Christian assumptions about “risk,” “prudence,” and what obedience might cost? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How should stories of refugees fleeing gunfire at night change the way comfortable Christians think about “risk,” being “wise,” and what obeying God might cost?

Randall insists the locals are “the host people” and says they were once welcoming but have become “fairly hostile”; how should Christians process the moral complexity of serving refugees while also honoring and serving the local Greek population that feels overwhelmed and afraid? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How can Christians serve refugees while also caring for local Greek people who feel overwhelmed and scared?

Randall says, “Without Jesus in a person’s heart, this is the result you have. You have fear and these issues,” and then recounts both theft and a Greek man shooting a refugee; how do you evaluate that claim in light of real injustices on both sides, and what does it suggest about what the gospel must address beyond policy and humanitarian aid? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Is it fair to say fear and violence happen “without Jesus,” when there are real wrongs on both sides? What does that mean for what the gospel must change beyond laws and aid?

Randall describes Moria Camp’s conditions (20,000 people, most in tents, “several hundred refugees for every toilet”); how might early Christians—who often lived close to poverty and social marginalization—have understood the church’s responsibility in such a setting compared to many modern Western Christians? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If early Christians were used to poverty and being pushed aside, how might they see the church’s duty in a place like Moria Camp compared to many Western Christians today?

Randall says their “main focus” is not humanitarian aid but refugees’ “spiritual health,” because when everything is taken away “their hearts are very open… hungry and thirsty,” especially among Muslim people; what are the dangers and the legitimacy of viewing suffering as “opportunity,” and how do you keep that from becoming exploitative? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When people say suffering makes hearts more open to God, what is true about that and what is dangerous? How do you share the gospel without using someone’s pain as a “chance” for ministry?

Randall says ministry “works the best when you can do both” humanitarian care and “the salvation message,” because visible love makes people “more receptive”; where do you see modern Christianity separating these two (either social aid without discipleship, or preaching without costly service), and what would reuniting them require in your life? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where do you see Christians today choosing either helping people without discipleship, or preaching without real sacrifice? What would it take for you to bring both together in your own life?

Randall says refugees—“especially the Christian refugees”—have taught him “being content,” which challenged him “as an American” to use material blessings for God’s kingdom; what specific habits or spending patterns in your life function as resistance to contentment, and what would repentance look like in concrete terms? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What habits or spending choices in your life keep you from being content? What would real repentance look like in specific changes you would make?

In Ali’s story, betrayal led to bitterness, then he “discovered the freedom of forgiveness” before later recognizing Jesus’ teachings as making sense; how does this sequence challenge evangelical assumptions about conversion happening first and transformation later, and how would an early-church emphasis on Jesus’ commands (like forgiveness) reshape how we disciple seekers today? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Ali forgave first and later connected it to Jesus—how does that challenge the idea that belief always comes before life change? How would focusing more on obeying Jesus’ commands shape how we help seekers grow?