America is now facing a major controversy following President Donald Trump's decision to halt the U.S. refugee resettlement programme for at least four months, according to The Christian Post.
A considerable number of people have protested against Trump's executive order, with others even resorting to cursing the new president and calling him names.
The evangelical community have their own thoughts regarding the matter. For his part, Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz said the separation of church and state is quite important in this issue.
"We can have opinions about who we vote for. We can have opinions about policies and law making procedures. We cannot, however, have opinions about who we love. 'The least of these' are not an option, they are not an afterthought, they are not a hindrance," he said in a video message he posted on his Facebook page.
Lentz, who has made a name for himself as a celebrity pastor, added that "the least of these" are the lifeblood of the gospel, and how Christians respond to their plights right now is the greatest indicator of what they truly believe.
"We're going to stand together and we're going to pray for the refugees. We're going to pray for the ostracised. We're going to pray for those that have nowhere else to go, nobody to put a roof over their head, nobody that would open the door," he said.
Lentz understands that a lot of people are upset with the government for imposing the ban, but he said they should always keep in mind that the church and state have different functions.
"It's the government's job to create laws to protect our country. We do need reforms, we do need things to change, but it's the church's job to love," he stressed. "It's the church's job to not see where you're from, to not see the colour of your skin, to not see what you have in your possession — to love you simply for the fact that we have been loved."
