war in Syria – Marilyn R. Gardner

Sometimes you look at a news story and you have no words. That’s what happened to me yesterday as I looked through two articles: One from The Atlantic and the other was a blog from an Associated Foreign Press writer. The stories were similar — refugees trying to escape Syria were at the border between Syrian and Turkey. Turkey, a country that has been generous with their resources throughout the crisis, is stretched beyond believability with refugees and was not allowing them in. In only three days, 23 thousand refugees and counting have literally flooded over the border, trying to escape Tal Abyad in Syria.

The pictures are photojournalism at its best; pictures of desperation that are haunting and beg the question “What can we do?” And the worst thing? I don’t know the answer.

But maybe collectively we do have some of the answers. Maybe we can find ways to give and go. I offer you both of the articles today. They are not easy to read; they are even more difficult to look at.

Along with this, if you purchase a copy of Between Worlds between now and July 17, all the proceeds will go toward refugees. You did it before! You helped pay for chemotherapy for a young refugee woman who has breast cancer. Many of you have already purchased the book but perhaps someone you know would like it as a gift. Perhaps you could give it to a third culture kid who has just graduated.

Here are the articles:

1. Fleeing through the eye of a needle

2. Syrians Crash Through a Fence between War and Refuge

And I cry out “Lord have mercy.”