{"id":2406,"date":"2024-06-20T18:46:17","date_gmt":"2024-06-20T22:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/?p=2406"},"modified":"2024-06-21T12:37:29","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T16:37:29","slug":"how-the-church-should-open-the-door-wide-for-world-refugees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/2024\/06\/20\/how-the-church-should-open-the-door-wide-for-world-refugees\/","title":{"rendered":"Christians Open Door Wide for World Refugees but More is Needed"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the wake of World War II, many people all over the world were no longer considered homeless or displaced as neighborhoods were destroyed and innocent people were held captive\u2013they were refugees. A few years following the two nuclear bombs dropped in southwestern Japan, the General Assembly of the United Nations created The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and eventually laid the foundation for World Refugee Day<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Commemorated every June 20, the UNHCR encourages the world to “champion their right to seek safety, build support for their economic and social inclusion, and advocate for solutions to their plight.”<\/p>\n

In 135 countries globally, humanitarian efforts and missionary outreach work in concert to help those forced to flee a country to escape persecution or find help to live. UNHCR shares that near the beginning of 2023, 117.3 million people left their homes<\/a> because of wartime, foreign conflict, or domestic terrorism\u201340% of them are children.<\/p>\n

Emergency villages, supplying life’s basics, and organizing safety are essential for these innocent families unwilling to live nomadic lifestyles. If ever there was a need for the Great Commission, it was during World Refugee Day. What are the Church’s exploits and how are God’s people approaching this pandemic outreach?<\/p>\n

The Reach of the Church for Refugees<\/h2>\n
\""Refugees
Are “Refugees Welcome” by your church’s global ef ots? (Image credit: @Kahll via Pixabay)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Churches of every denomination and organizations of every faith could unite to serve refugees in global nations, and they may still need help. With over 110 million adults and children running from shelter to shelter to escape the perils of war, there is work to be done.<\/p>\n

Refugees require sacred support during the years-long war in Ukraine and genocide in Sudan, senseless mass murderers and generational disturbances in Myanmar and Somalia, and present natural rights crises in Afghanistan and along the Gaza Strip. Ecumenical organizations like Save the Children<\/a>, CRU<\/a>, and World Relief<\/a> amp up efforts to provide aid and support during World Refugee Day. Yet, based on images via television and reports on the radio, it’s clear one day of the year is not nearly enough.<\/p>\n

The UN Refugee Agency published a report<\/a> underscoring that need. Among the nearly 120 million people who are displaced worldwide, fewer than 1% have been able to resettle in a new country.<\/h4>\n

The Catholic Church issued a statement from Pope Francis on World Refugee Day declaring the theme for this year’s “World Day of Migrants and Refugees,” the last day in September. The banner for this year’s humanitarian outreach from the Holy See is “God walks with His people.”<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a path to be undertaken in a synodal way,\u201d the statement continues, \u201covercoming all threats and obstacles to reach our true homeland together.\u00a0 During this journey, wherever people find themselves, it is essential to recognize the presence of God who walks with His people, assuring them of His guidance and protection at every step.\u00a0 Yet it is equally essential to recognize the presence of the Lord, Emmanuel, God-with-us, in every migrant who knocks at the door of our hearts and offers an opportunity for encounter.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

World Refugee Day Creates Home Away from Home<\/h2>\n
\"Old
Ukrainian refugees are living in a dilapidated trailer. (Image credit: @RawPixel via Freepik)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Under the banner of “Hope Away from Home,” the UNHCR published images and quotes from global refugees displaced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, and even in Latin America, running from cartel oppression and terrorism.<\/p>\n

Iryna, a refugee from Ukraine, fled the Russian air raids with her two daughters and ended up with a sponsor church in Philadelphia. On the reason for fleeing, she said, “My children. That my children live in peace so that they can have a good education, a good job, and be good people, whether in America or Ukraine.”<\/p>\n

This UNHCR video conveys more of that emotion.<\/p>\n