This holiday break has come with some interruptions. On Christmas morning I received a request
from a second cousin asking if he and his family of five could stay with us for
a few days. They were due for refugee
resettlement in Canada under the Private Refugee Sponsorship Program, which allows
groups and individuals to privately spearhead the resettlement of displaced
families. The program is truly unique
and has allowed tens of thousands of Syrian families to start new lives in a
new country. My cousin’s family was in
the final stages of the process. All
that was required was a medical check on Tuesday morning (to show that everyone
is fit for travel) and then the final departure on Wednesday evening. There was, however, a predicament. They had been staying in the Bekaa Valley
and forecasts indicated that winter weather could shut down the mountain pass
between the valley and Beirut, potentially blocking them from their important appointments. Fortunately Dar El Awlad once again was ready
to welcome a needy family for a short-term stay and changes to our holiday
plans allowed us to be free. As it turns
out, we would be this family’s final stopping point between what has been a long
ordeal of Syrian displacement and Canadian resettlement in Winnipeg.
I have (unfortunately) become personally familiar with the
ongoing displacement crisis via the trials of my extended Syrian family, but
this part of refugee resettlement was
a new observation for me. During their
final three days in the Middle East we talked about the past (the country we
have lost access to and the community it once held), the present (the process
of resettlement and the excitement of international travel), and the future
(the pros and cons of making a new life in the West). It’s a very interesting point of a refugee
experience, a point where a past wrought with so much pain and loss yields a future
beaming with such hope and opportunity.
Personally, I find resettlement bittersweet. It pains me to see families with legacies and
identity in a land driven to seek a new placement in distant lands. I see great human potential sent abroad with
the low prospects of these individuals permanently returning to their home
country. At the same time I realize that
resettlement is one of the most substantial ways to directly impact the
individual lives (especially children lives) that have been uprooted and
undermined by the ongoing global displacement crisis. I think of refugee resettlement as something
akin to an organ transplant. No one
wants to have their liver, a kidney or heart removed from their body nor does
anyone desire deteriorated health.
However, transplants are sought in order to preserve and extend
life. Such is refugee resettlement, a
vital operation needed to maintain life when circumstances have reached
unbearably bad states. It is never what
we want for a person, but it can breathe new life into bodies that have endured
immense damage. I want individuals
rooted in their place of heritage and memory, but when these places have been
taken away then I want them resettled somewhere where roots are possible.
This is why I am thankful for Canada. In the past few years Canada has done more
than any other nation-state to proactively address the Syrian displacement
crisis by facilitating resettlement in a safe, secure country. Nearly
40,000 Syrians have been granted a new start thus far, and this week I saw
the buzz in an airport departure hall as dozens of more prepared to embark on a
new future on Canadian soil. This has
been a commendable undertaking by a national government, and one of the
important parts of this initiative has been the response of churches to facilitate
sponsorship and resettlement for thousands of refugees. My relatives are among these. A church in Winnipeg sponsored them, oversaw
their arrangements, prepared accommodation, and has committed to providing
support during their initial settling periods.
This (Muslim) family had only glowing things to say of the church. Not only has a community of Christians granted
relief from their dire situation but they have provided the comfort of knowing
that they are walking into a caring community that will be there in the months
ahead. My cousin let it be known to us that
Jesus is very much recognized within this act of compassion.
No state, system or policy is perfect. I realize that Canada likely has some self-interest
driving their goodwill welcome of thousands of refugees. I also personally know that faulty Canadian
policy has blocked resettlement for extremely vulnerable individuals and
extended their suffering. Even so, this is
the best the world currently has. If
more countries thought and acted like Canada then more lives would have rescue
from the pits of displacement. The role
of Christians is extremely significant.
Churches across Canada are seizing the moment to capitalize on the
opportunity to live out basic teachings of Biblical faith. The scriptures are ever-clear from start to
finish that God cares for the poor, vulnerable and marginalized. He demands from His followers to extend this
care to others including friends, enemies and everyone in between. There is no debate here; Jesus declares that
when we welcome the stranger, we welcome the Divine (Matthew 25: 43-45). This is one point of the few displacement and
response where I see there are no complexities.
Christians across Canada are showing obedience to scripture in dynamic
ways, and countless lives are directly enjoying the blessing.
I do not like refugee resettlement because I do not like
that people have been reduced to refugees.
I do not like that war, discrimination and destruction have driven people
from their homes and compelled them to lands across the globe. But if this world continues to produce
displacement then I want the displaced to experience hope and future. I want people of faith to look beyond
themselves to extend love, care and protection to the vulnerable and poor. I want my global Christian community to show
today what the Bible taught thousands of years ago, and I want to see many more
families like the one I spent the last three days with move ahead in the prospects
of life. This doesn’t always require
resettlement, but many times it does, and I thank Canada for increasing the capacity
for resettlement to work.
 |
| A gathering of the "Lucky Ones." Only 1% of refugees are ever resettled. This group is bound for Canada. |
 |
| Bon Voyage |
No comments:
Post a Comment