11/19/15 - A Displaced People

11/19/15 - A Displaced People - Syrian Refugees 

Lately the news and social media post are focused on the Syrian refugee debate. Politics, rights, religious views and fears are driving these conversations.  Lost in the middle of all of these debates is that these refugees are people with their own stories and pain and fears.   Lets look at the heart of a people and our heart involvement instead of getting sucked into the refugee debate of politics and fear.

Watch Melissa Flemings Ted Talk:  Let's Help refugees thrive not just survive. 

This Ted talk was from 2014.  This is not a new issue but an ongoing and growing one. Worldwide there were 14.4 million refugees in 2014.  Melissa shares stories of a few refugees giving us a personal heartfelt view of each of their stories. 

If you had to flee from your home what would you take?

How would you react or change if 1/2 your apartment building or neighborhood were Syrian Refugees?

What do you think about her comments on education?

2015 Syria crisis: Fast facts

• 12 million Syrians have fled their homes because of conflict; half are children.
• 4 million Syrians are refugees; most are in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.
• Children affected by the Syrian conflict are at risk of becoming ill, malnourished, abused, or exploited. Millions have been forced to quit school.
• More than 700,000 Syrian refugees and other migrants risked their lives this year to travel to Europe.

What facts from the Ted talk or above caught your attention? 

Take some time to discuss these facts.  

Does knowledge require action? If so what will your action be?

What does "Rescue the weak and the needy" from Psalms mean to you? 

Save the Children posted this video in 2014 to give us a view of how quickly life changed for the children of Syria. 

Bible References:

Psalm 82:3-4 
Defend the weak and the fatherless uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.  Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Luke 10:25-27

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”  27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”  28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”  29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Sources:

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/refugees-fact-sheet
http://www.worldvision.org/news-stories-videos/syria-war-refugee-crisis