Advent: Compassion & Refugees
A year ago, I signed on to assist a refugee family. A year later, our refugee family is here, integrating into Canadian society.
As I reflect on the journey thus far, I would like to comment on my community. I am pleasantly surprised and proud of how our community has come together to welcome our family. Honestly, I doubted this a year ago, since our city has a "red-neck" reputation. And most individuals in our constituency do not appreciate our Liberal Prime Minister, the one who strongly advocated for refugees. Yet, our community has rallied behind this family with their generosity and love. People of various Christian denominations, in addition to people of different religious (and non-religious) backgrounds, have come together to serve. It is truly beautiful and inspirational.
On a personal note, this experience has been incredibly exhausting and rewarding. Most of our committee members feel the same way. We all wonder if we could ever do this again because of how all-consuming it is. Yet, none of us regret become involved. Our momentary afflictions are nothing in comparison to the hell our family escaped.
Children, I know I haven't been the most involved Mother this year. Do forgive me. As I perused through our digital pictures attempting to make a calendar for 2017, I realized how I haven't captured this year as much as I would have liked. Nonetheless, I hope you see the value of loving people who are different from you.
One lesson I would really like you to learn in your life is to be compassionate with others. Compassion is defined as "a concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others." And I do believe that part of developing compassion in our life is to allow ourselves to be privy to other people's pain and suffering. But fostering compassion goes beyond just being privy to pain. It also means being present with the pain.
We live in a society that is desensitized to pain and suffering. Our entertainment is saturated with images of violence and agony, so much so that is can be challenging to engage with real-life suffering in our world. After all, there is so much suffering and pain in this world, that if we were present with it all, we would mentally breakdown.
Yet, as Christians, we are called to be different.
Christ is our ultimate example. He is privy to our all our suffering, whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual. But God came down in the form of a baby, and lived the life of a man, in a fallen world. He was present with us. He is present with us today! Jesus Emmanuel. God with us!
Jesus lived through the shit. He saw physical suffering. He healed. He witnessed emotional pain. He delivered. He knew how dead our souls were and how we struggle to do what is right on our own power. He died and gave us the same power that raised Him from the dead. And then He commission us to go out and be present with our world. Not to become part of it and adopt its soul-sucking values! But to be there and share the Good News found in Jesus.
You will never be able to show compassion to every deplorable situation in our world. However, God will grant you opportunities to be compassionate today. Whether that is being a friend to a person at school who doesn't have any friends. Or standing up for a friend who is being bullied. Or kindly loving your family member who is sad or hurt. Or reserving judgement on a person who is not behaving correctly in the classroom (because you do not know his or her whole story). Or bringing over Christmas gifts to a refugee family who possesses far less than you.
Therefore, I end with a prayer, my sweet kids.
Daughter, your middle name represents one who stands up for those who cannot defend themselves. I pray that you will be an advocate for the oppressed, just as Christ is for us.
Son, your middle name means to ascend, to heal. I pray that you will bring healing to others as you keep looking up to the source of your strength, that is Jesus.
I love you both. I pray that our family will be filled with compassion this Christmas season and into 2017.
As I reflect on the journey thus far, I would like to comment on my community. I am pleasantly surprised and proud of how our community has come together to welcome our family. Honestly, I doubted this a year ago, since our city has a "red-neck" reputation. And most individuals in our constituency do not appreciate our Liberal Prime Minister, the one who strongly advocated for refugees. Yet, our community has rallied behind this family with their generosity and love. People of various Christian denominations, in addition to people of different religious (and non-religious) backgrounds, have come together to serve. It is truly beautiful and inspirational.
On a personal note, this experience has been incredibly exhausting and rewarding. Most of our committee members feel the same way. We all wonder if we could ever do this again because of how all-consuming it is. Yet, none of us regret become involved. Our momentary afflictions are nothing in comparison to the hell our family escaped.
Children, I know I haven't been the most involved Mother this year. Do forgive me. As I perused through our digital pictures attempting to make a calendar for 2017, I realized how I haven't captured this year as much as I would have liked. Nonetheless, I hope you see the value of loving people who are different from you.
One lesson I would really like you to learn in your life is to be compassionate with others. Compassion is defined as "a concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others." And I do believe that part of developing compassion in our life is to allow ourselves to be privy to other people's pain and suffering. But fostering compassion goes beyond just being privy to pain. It also means being present with the pain.
We live in a society that is desensitized to pain and suffering. Our entertainment is saturated with images of violence and agony, so much so that is can be challenging to engage with real-life suffering in our world. After all, there is so much suffering and pain in this world, that if we were present with it all, we would mentally breakdown.
Yet, as Christians, we are called to be different.
Christ is our ultimate example. He is privy to our all our suffering, whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual. But God came down in the form of a baby, and lived the life of a man, in a fallen world. He was present with us. He is present with us today! Jesus Emmanuel. God with us!
Jesus lived through the shit. He saw physical suffering. He healed. He witnessed emotional pain. He delivered. He knew how dead our souls were and how we struggle to do what is right on our own power. He died and gave us the same power that raised Him from the dead. And then He commission us to go out and be present with our world. Not to become part of it and adopt its soul-sucking values! But to be there and share the Good News found in Jesus.
You will never be able to show compassion to every deplorable situation in our world. However, God will grant you opportunities to be compassionate today. Whether that is being a friend to a person at school who doesn't have any friends. Or standing up for a friend who is being bullied. Or kindly loving your family member who is sad or hurt. Or reserving judgement on a person who is not behaving correctly in the classroom (because you do not know his or her whole story). Or bringing over Christmas gifts to a refugee family who possesses far less than you.
Therefore, I end with a prayer, my sweet kids.
Daughter, your middle name represents one who stands up for those who cannot defend themselves. I pray that you will be an advocate for the oppressed, just as Christ is for us.
Son, your middle name means to ascend, to heal. I pray that you will bring healing to others as you keep looking up to the source of your strength, that is Jesus.
I love you both. I pray that our family will be filled with compassion this Christmas season and into 2017.