{"id":4586,"date":"2015-12-17T15:30:17","date_gmt":"2015-12-17T22:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/?p=4586"},"modified":"2016-01-07T14:22:17","modified_gmt":"2016-01-07T21:22:17","slug":"3-ways-to-help-syrian-refugees-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2015\/12\/3-ways-to-help-syrian-refugees-right-now\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways to Help Syrian Refugees Right Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

When I wrote about Syrian refugees<\/a> a few weeks ago,\u00a0I said it is not bigoted or unloving \u2014 and definitely not un-Christian \u2014 to protect the safety of our families and our homeland.<\/p>\n

But that doesn\u2019t mean I don\u2019t care about the families fleeing for their lives. \u00a0And whether they are Christian or Muslim should not matter one bit.<\/p>\n

\"Syrian<\/a><\/p>\n

Christ has called us to be wise and gentle, both protecting the innocent and generously giving to those in need. The two are not contradictory.<\/p>\n

The question now\u00a0is how to help the people fleeing from violence thousands of miles away.<\/p>\n

And how can we be sure our help is actually doing some good?<\/p>\n

What We Can Do Right Now<\/h3>\n

Setting aside political solutions for moment \u2014 because life is more than politics \u2014 I\u2019ve really wrestled with how I might help in a way that matters.<\/p>\n

These refugees are families just like mine who are simply looking for a safe place to live. And winter is coming. Even in the Mediterranean world, cold kills.<\/p>\n

Add to that the chaos of being uprooted from all you know and have known and I can only imagine the suffering they are experiencing now.<\/p>\n

Here are 3 concrete things we can all do right now to help Syrian refugees:<\/p>\n

1. Pray.<\/h3>\n

I know prayer may not seem like much, but it is not the last resort. In fact, it is the most powerful thing we can do.<\/p>\n

I explain more of why that is true in my book A Story Worth Telling<\/em><\/a>. Suffice it to say E.M. bounds was correct: \u201cPrayer is the hand that moves the hand of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your prayers and mine can alter the course of history. Never doubt it.<\/p>\n

Pray specifically that those perpetuating evil would be stopped. Pray that those running for their lives would know peace an experience provision.<\/p>\n

Pray that God\u2019s mission of reconciling all things to himself advances even in \u2014 and maybe especially<\/em> in \u2014 these trying circumstances.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t just say<\/em> you are praying, but then not actually do it. Consider fasting to focus your heart <\/a>on a cause that moves the heart of God.<\/p>\n

\"refugee\"<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Learn<\/h3>\n

I\u2019d guess most Americans can\u2019t find Syria on a map, let alone understand why these refugees are running in the first place.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t make informed decisions or speak intelligently as an influencer until you understand more about the situation.<\/p>\n

Our 24\/7 news cycle has given us enough talking heads already who don\u2019t seem to understand the dynamics of the situation. A little googling can go along way toward understanding the geography and history of the region.<\/p>\n

If you want some good reads on ISIS and the threat it poses, try here<\/a>, here,<\/a> or here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Give<\/h3>\n

This is where it get\u2019s real. We have been blessed beyond measure here in the US, both in relative safety and abundant resources.<\/p>\n

What if you could hand food and clothing to those refugees right now in the name of Jesus? Would you do it?<\/p>\n

Good news \u2014 now you can.<\/p>\n

My friends at Operation Mobilization<\/a> are on the ground right now greeting refugees from Syria and Iraq. They are providing critical food for families and winter provisions as the season changes.<\/p>\n

\"21264442335_bf5045e3fa_k\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But what I love most about OM is that their mission is providing long-term help, not just meeting temporary needs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They have missionaries on the ground already embedded in the communities most affected by the refugees \u2014 on the island of Lesbos, Greece, at the border crossings in Macedonia and Serbia, and in other places across the Balkans, Hungary, Montenegro, Austria, and Germany.<\/p>\n

And they are sending more.<\/p>\n

They partner with local churches and\u00a0international agencies to help those in need on the ground. Not just for a moment, but for the long-term.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve been doing this successfully for decades and are recognized as a UNHCR partner organization.<\/p>\n

Over 6,800 workers, representing 100 nationalities,\u00a0serve\u00a0in the OM family of ministries,\u00a0bringing God\u2019s unchanging truth to literally millions every year.<\/p>\n

What You Can Give to Refugees<\/h3>\n

Will you join with me to share the love of Christ this Christmas to send a Refugee Food Pack or a Refugee Winter Care Pack?<\/p>\n

Click here to help Syrian refugees right now.<\/a><\/p>\n

Or you can help fund their efforts to get the\u00a0Gospel in the hands of these refugees, to nourish not just their bodies but their souls, as well.<\/p>\n