Strangers in a strange land

I wept as I watched thousands of refugees from Syria arrive in Munich over the weekend.  My heart is so relieved Germany opened its borders with so much support, compassion and even enthusiasm to the world's most downtrodden refugees. Germany stepped up and is doing what any strong leader does in the face of crisis and adversity. It takes a stand and beams brightly to the rest of the world, a powerful light in the world's great and terrible dark night.  

One man said breathlessly to an awestruck reporter, "We are finally free!" Like the many thousands of other refugees arriving with him and his family, he had traveled the same perilous route from Syria, through Turkey, over sea and land on through Europe, despite danger on the seas, hungry and tired, yet relentless and driven to survive.

As these waves of humanity surged onward, courageously toward survival and freedom, in pursuit of life and liberty, they willingly risked everything for their lives.  Desperate, with no where else to go, they ventured into countries which centuries ago were inhospitable to Muslims. Even their brother Muslim nations rejected them, leaving them no other choice. Life grows where there is the least resistance.   

Today, compassion is the new religion and it has no borders, knows only the common human condition which will always be in pursuit of life and liberty.

Freedom is still something worth risking everything for -  along with food, water, shelter, the opportunity to go to school, find a job, and build a life and a community in peace.  The kindness of Germany along with Pope Francis' insistence that all the churches in Europe open their doors to the refugees is a most beautiful antidote to the cruelty of war, oppression, and poverty in these peoples' once beautiful ancient homeland.  One day, a generation from  now, the children we see hungry and tired with holes in their well worn little shoes, will return to Syria to rebuild.  But for now, they will learn German and go to church to say their Muslim prayers and know the kindness of strangers.  The kindness they experience today will bless the world in generations to come.

In the meantime, close to one million refugees in Jordan are in desperate need of food.  Please consider contributing to the UNHCR refugee agency.