How to Help Syrian Refugees

Long before I was a mother myself, I remember hearing someone say, “Mothers in [insert foreign country] love their kids just as much as we love ours.” It was a moment of clarity. Of course they do. This small truth—the idea that no matter our differences, the important things are the same—is the seed of peace. I remember my mother watching TV when I was young, and hearing the agony in her voice whenever a news anchor announced that a child had been killed or hurt. I didn’t fully understand it, but I could hear the devastation in her voice as she closed her eyes and said, “How horrible.” Now I get it. The heartbreak is so visceral because we immediately think, “What if it were my child?” Empathy kicks in and we put ourselves in that mother’s shoes, until it hurts too much and we return to our own children, still alive and well. As I have watched the Syrian refugee crisis unfold on television and social media, there has been a lot of speculation. Countries are worried about safety, resources and the strain on their economy. Political leaders speculate on the best way to tackle the root of the problem, which is the civil war and the general unrest in the Middle East. These are necessary conversations, but the main priority is to remember that in all of these political discussions there are people who love their families the same as we do. They are children and mothers and brothers and sons. They are the most vulnerable and pay the highest cost. And they could be us. Most of us live far away from conflict and poverty. We are lucky to have access to basic necessities, and to not fear for our own safety or for the safety of our loved ones. But no society, no matter how advanced, is promised security forever. None of us is immune to being touched by tragedy. Today we are safe, but tomorrow it could be us. The heartbreak, the fear, the isolation. You can see it on the faces of those refugees; you understand it because we are more the same than we are different. We are all children of our Heavenly Parent. For us as people of faith, it is even more important to reach out to those in need. Not only that, but also to feel and understand the pain of our Heavenly Parent who must also watch these events unfold. “What can we do?” is the most common refrain. It’s easy for helplessness to turn into apathy. I think that’s the first challenge, to stay in empathy. To feel, even when it’s painful, to see the humanity in our brothers and sisters across the world. Second, we can offer practical support in whatever way we can. I have been following the photoblog Humans of New York, which recently has been posting stories of Syrian refugees. The stories are horrific and heartbreaking, but they also are a gateway to that thread of common humanity. Humans of New York is directing its followers who would like to help to a Kickstarter page that is raising money for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), one of the United Nations organizations that is on the ground providing people with basic necessities. The Kickstarter page already has raised over a million dollars, and there is one day left in the campaign. If you feel called, I ask you to join in giving any donations there. You can also donate anytime directly on the UNHCR website. Most importantly, let’s remember that those suffering are part of our global family. They are loved and cherished by the same God. Compassion, empathy and prayer are an important part of this recovery—especially if they move more of us to add our voices and our resources to find solutions.