Little Children Could Show Us The Way
Yesterday I was wrapping up my blog on the Syrian refugee crisis from the perspective of an immigration attorney and my daughter Olivia sat with me the entire time and watched me work. I explained to her that I was trying to help people have a better understanding of how important it is for us to continue to help refugees who are suffering and that we have the right facts about how we screen them coming into this country so we can be safe.
I explained to her that these suffering people are running from ISIS, civil war, persecution, hunger, death and misery. I told to her that a lot of people in our nation are afraid to let them into our country because they think some of them might be bad people like ISIS who are disguised as refugees. I asked Olivia to give me her opinion as a child as to what she thought we as a nation should do about the suffering Syrian refugees who need our help. Keep in mind she only nine years old, but you see her heart come through. Often we lose that heart as we get older. Here is what she come up with.
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Hi! My name is Olivia,
I am here too talk about what I think people could do to help the Syrian Refugees. Maybe we could build big shelters and take about nine big planes get the Refugees! The shelter needs lots of toys and fun stuff for the kids. Food and beds for everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Here is why I think we need to let Refugees in the U.S.A.
- They are people.
- They are struggling and suffering.
- Their lives are at risk.
- Everybody needs people looking out for each other because we are all God’s children and God’s children are brothers and sisters and this means everyone is important.
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Olivia reminds us in a childlike way that God designed humanity to be a global family. A family that looks out for each other. God has a dream for this world. Part of his dream is “peace on earth and good will towards all people.” He dreams of the hungry being fed, the naked being clothed and the weakest among us being taken care of by the strongest.
Unfortunately, I do not hear many sermons on this from the pulpits these days. Perhaps we just do not believe those words any more or is it possible that we just do not trust or believe in the raw message of Jesus to be a viable answer to deep needs of our world today.
As I read and reflected on Olivia’s comments, I thought I would include a photo album of these precious suffering Syrian refugees who Olivia believes are our brothers and sisters who deeply need our help. Take some time to look them in the eyes and see them with your hearts. Say a prayer for them and maybe make a donation to a group that is trying to help them.
God bless.
The Most Powerful Photographs of the Syrian Refugee Crisis in 2015
I share in the these three blogs below some practical ways you can help the Syrian refugees if you are interested.
https://jeffburns.org/jesus-was-a-refugee-what-you-can-do-to-help-ease-his-suffering/
https://jeffburns.org/frequently-asked-questions-that-americans-have-about-refugees/