I don’t post often, but with the recent talk about Christian responses to Syrian refugees, I wanted to offer my humble proposal.

Most of the discussion seems to revolve around to issues: security at home and love for the refugee. It seems to me both could be handled by working with Middle Eastern nations to provide a Middle Eastern alternative.

Providing a safe, secure place for refugees in the Middle East would solve most of the debate. US involvement would allow us to love the refugee. By making sure the facility is safe and clean we could provide a pleasant, temporary home for those displaced by war. By employing them in the care and upkeep of the facility we could also address the human need to work, allowing them to keep their dignity. Finally, by establishing the location in the Middle East we allow for a smoother resettlement of refugees after the war.

On the homefront this also loves our next door neighbor by addressing real security concerns. With attacks in Canada, Europe, and now the US, the concerns of our fellow Americans cannot be boiled down to simple racism. There concerns are based upon real events, not the perceived ‘otherness’ of refugees.

It strikes me that we did something similar in Africa during the last Ebola crisis. The US Military rapidly deployed and built facilities to house and care for the sick. Certainly we could do the same thing in the Middle East, working with a host nation.

Of course this suggestion isn’t without challenges. The greatest challenge maybe finding a Middle Eastern nation to help. However, we must have some leverage we could use to persuade allied nations to support this action.

So, to recap, establishing a refugee center in the Middle East would love the refugee by providing for the safety, security, and eventual return whom, while also loving our next door neighbor by providing security for the homefront.