Our Refugee Brethren – Thought Motivating Action
Keeping constantly in our thoughts and prayers people, especially our brethren, in the Refugee Camps, confronting the stark quality of their life - by remembering, for instance, their sleeping condition whenever we retire for the night in our warm beds; many sleep in crowded conditions, probably on damp earthen floors, under leaky roofs. Enjoying our meal at family gatherings or ecclesial luncheons, how many have even enough food to eat – parents distressingly aware that their children are still hungry after a meal? Parents, planning your children’s education, when those parents have absolutely no hope of any academic help for their children, hence no idea of their future. We must not think that this is the kind of life to which these people are accustomed, and therefore they will not be affected. No, as human beings, they are no different. One brother, who providentially, was able to get out of one of these camps told me that many of the people in the camps came from well established comfortable homes with good living conditions, having to run for their lives leaving their belongings behind. What a drastic change in their lifestyle – now living under these horrible conditions - with no hope of relief in sight! Those with bewildered young children, suddenly in the midst of a corrupt and immoral environment created by the circumstances around them, not understanding the sudden change in their lives? Can we then just think of this situation and turn away without attempting to do what we possibly can to change their circumstances?
Many of them are God’s children, who, like us, have chosen his offer of eternal life, striving towards his coming Kingdom. They are our brethren, whose problems, especially in this very distressing situation, should be ours as well, motivating hands-on involvement. In this situation, what would our Heavenly Father have us do? Are we giving any thought to this? Considering the odds against us, if we are depending on our own strength, realistically we can do very little, not knowing how or where to start. So how do we handle this matter?
Our Heavenly Father has provided the following example for us: Israel, confronted with a very difficult challenge, against a very powerful nation, wondered, like us, “Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.”(Deut.1: 28)– the same situation, where we, too, feel woefully inadequate in our problem. God understands and in His word He is trying to still our fears, encouraging us, as he did them: 29 “… Dread not, neither be afraid of them. v30 The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place”. Yes, God has likewise liberated us in our day, spiritually, from the power of sin and death, by offering up his son, and is still bearing us throughout our various fleshly encounters, to His Kingdom. He fought this battle for us, and will do the same for us in our present challenge with regard to our suffering brethren. So, aware of their horrible suffering, let us not turn away or give up in helpless hopelessness, but keep thinking of them, asking our Heavenly Father to show, guide and empower us to do our best for them. Surely, this way, we cannot remain inactive, and he will move us in the right direction.
Our goal is to initiate an ongoing programme to resettle our brethren, restoring some measure of comfort and hope. May our Heavenly Father instill in us the faith and compassion to work with our suffering brethren.
Sis Esther Worrell (Canada)
