What The Bible’s 6 Cities Of Refuge Teach Us About Community

Where do we go for refuge? We all need sanctuary from anti-Blackness. The biblical Cities of Refuge remind us of the importance of creating sacred spaces in our communities.

What The Bible’s 6 Cities Of Refuge Teach Us About Community
Via Wikimedia Commons

The biblical Cities of Refuge provided safety to those who’d caused their communities harm, and asylum for foreigners fleeing persecution. 

The roads to these cities were well tended, with signage to let asylum seekers know they were on the right path. 

In the United States, “Cities of Refuge” are known as sanctuary cities. Sanctuary cities are communities or regions that have declared their sanctuary status.

These cities offer safety to people who’ve emigrated from other countries. Sanctuary cities prevent police from reporting anyone’s immigration status unless they have been involved in a serious crime. 

Since the 1970s, nearly 600 sanctuary cities have been established in the United States. But our ancestors have relied on informal sanctuaries for generations. 

When the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850, many Northern abolitionists and freedmen responded by providing sanctuary spaces to enslaved runaways on their journeys north. 

Abolitionists rejected laws mandating them to assist in recapturing runaways they encountered.  

How can we provide sanctuary to one another? How do we create places of refuge in our communities?

We all need sanctuary from anti-Blackness. Part of our spiritual work is ensuring we have communal spaces that remind us of our sacredness.


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