The world grows tired but pictures wake us up.

The world is weary of words, but pictures change the conversation.

I write about refugees, knowing that there are those shaking their heads “yeah, yeah, we know already.” This is coded language for the longer “We know there are refugees, we know there are overwhelming needs. There is nothing we can do. Just let us escape, just for one day.”

The world is weary – pictures revive us.

No matter how tired we are, God sees. God hears. God remembers. God knows. I cling to this today as another picture, of another small child, wakes up a sleeping world.

Today, whatever you are doing, would you stop and pray for Syria?

*****

Why You Should Care: 

• Welcoming the Refugee – Choosing to Walk Away from Fear
• Yearning to Breathe Free
• Storytelling: Refugees Stories in Their Own Words
• List of well-known refugees – most notably, Albert Einstein.

Three challenges:

A Call to Pray: “In the midst of tragedy, I am called to pray. Called to pray to a God who hears and loves, a God who is present in tragedy and accepts our “why’s”, a God who knows no national boundaries or citizenship, a God who took on our human pain and suffering when he ‘willingly endured the cross’.” [from In the Midst of Tragedy, A Call to Pray.]

A Call to Walk Away from Fear: I’m going to repeat what I have said publicly three times this week. Don’t make safety an idol. Choose to walk away from fear. Choose to love as you are loved; choose to offer your heart and your resources to those in need.

A Call to Love: Governments may do their thing, they may close their doors; as a Christian, I don’t have that option.  Period.

Here are ways to help:

• Heart for Lebanon – This is an amazing organization that works with refugees around Lebanon focusing on food distribution and education. The organization is based on developing relationships with refugees. I can’t speak highly enough about this organization.
• Make Refugee Kits! Family and Infant Refugee Kits I cannot stress enough how useful these kits are. We have taken over 100 to Iraq and Turkey and sent even more. It’s an excellent Christmas project. I reached out to the folks at Medical Teams and here is what they said:“Thank you so much for your email – and your support for our mission. We will gladly accept shipments at our Tigard Oregon Distribution Center – 14150 SW Milton Court, Tigard OR 97224. Again, thank you for your interest in our project – We are so touched by the kindness and compassion from people around the US!”
• International Orthodox Christian Charities