Go Beyond

Amman, Jordan

Syria has been embroiled in conflict and increasing bloodshed since March of last year when people from the southern city of Deraa took to the streets. These peaceful demonstrators demanded the release of fourteen schoolchildren that had been arrested and allegedly tortured because they had written some graffiti on a wall that was sympathetic to Arab Spring protestors in Tunisia and Egypt. President Assad’s security forces opened fire on the peaceful demonstrators, killing four people. The following day, a mourner at one of the funerals was also shot and killed. Within days things started to spiral out of control and resulted in even more deaths as government forces raided neighborhoods in search of those who had participated in the demonstrations. This crackdown triggered more anti-government protests across the country and by mid-May the death toll had reached 1,000. Since then, the tension and violence and killing has progressively escalated, leading many Syrians to seek refuge in neighboring counties in order to protect their families.

Syrian refugee files.

I had the opportunity yesterday to visit some of the documented Syrian refugees that are temporarily living in Amman. These families have sought shelter wherever they can find it, are not permitted to work, have no school for their children, and spend long days and nights with nothing to do but grieve over the situation that forced them to leave their native land. Their despair is palpable. One father we visited shared the heartbreaking story of the loss of twenty-seven members of his extended family, an unimaginably horrible loss. He witnessed bodies torn apart and others mangled under the treads of army tanks. “How can a government treat its own people this way,” he lamented. “If my own son disagrees with me I do not tear him apart.” After a pause, he shook his head and continued, “I do not understand this inhumanity.” This poor man did the only thing he felt he could do in order to protect his family — he fled his country. His is only one among thousands of similar stories.

Only time will tell how things in Syria will be resolved. In the meantime, tens of thousands of documented and undocumented refugees will have to find a way to survive outside their native borders. I am thankful for the work of my friends at the Global Hope Network for their efforts to adopt as many families as they can in order to help them make it through the difficult challenges they are facing during this interim period when they do not know what the future holds or when they might be able to return to their homes. The actions of Global Hope are introducing the sweet melody of God’s love into places where people only know the anguished lyrics of pain. The father we met was grateful for our presence, our concern, and the small bags of food that will keep hunger at bay for a few more days. He and his family will continue to serve out their painful sentence one day at a time until it’s safe for them to return to their home. In the meantime, I pray that they will learn the lyrics to a new melody of love and kindness, one compassionate and healing note at a time. Learn about what you can do to help bring relief to Syrian refugees by visiting the Global Hope Network website.