Monday, September 9, 2013

What You Can Do About Syria

It all seems so hopeless. If you know anything about the civil war in Syria, you know there really isn't a good scenario on the horizon. Syria is a diverse country with various religions and sects: Sunni, Shia, Alawi, Orthodox, Catholic, Druze. The brutal dictatorship of Bashar Al Assad and his military crackdown have killed hundreds of thousands. Among his diverse collection of enemies are radical Muslims linked to Al Qaida. Regardless of who wins, someone will not be happy, the bloodshed will not likely end.

As our elected officials contemplate a military strike against the government of Syria thousands of Syrian refugees pour into Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and other nations, living in tents, often malnourished and suffering from disease. It's been called the worst humanitarian crisis since Rawanda. Over two million Syrians have already fled their country; half are children.


What can a Christ-follower do against such prevailing gloom? It seems we have no voice in our own government's actions, let alone what happens on the other side of the world. What can we possibly do to help such a complex crisis in Syria? 

We are not without hope. Here are the three things every Christian can do today to help Syrians, to combat the tragedy, to push back against the kingdom of darkness.



1. Pray for Peace

1 Tim 2:1-2 tells us to pray for those in authority, that we might live peaceful lives. Let's flood the heavens with prayers for our American leaders, that they would pursue policies that lead to peace and not an escalation of the war. Pray for the leaders of Syria, including the leaders of rebel groups that they would be moved to come to the negotiating table. Pray they will seek to minimize civilian deaths in he conflict. Pray for world leaders who may have a hand through diplomacy and other means to influence Syria for the cause of peace. Pray that the effects of their actions will lead to quiet peaceful lives for Syrians.

Prayer works. Calling on our sovereign and loving God to act changes things. Pray expecting God to change the situation in Syria in ways we could never imagine to bring good we could never bring.

2. Pray For Those Who Suffer

Thousands have lost homes and businesses in Syria. Hundreds of thousands have lost their lives. Millions are displaced. Suffering abounds in every way imaginable. 

We pray to align our hearts to God's. God's heart is moved to the widows, the orphans, the foreigners. He cares about what is going on in Syria and among the 2 million refugees.  Prayer will move God's hand, but it will also move ours, leading us to action, to help those in need

3. Help Those Who Suffer

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Jesus tells us (Matt 25:40). You will be hard pressed to find more hungry, thirsty, naked strangers than in the refugee camps surrounding Syria. While most of us are unable to make the trip to Jordan or Turkey to physically give food and clothes, we can use a small portion of the wealth God has given us to help those who can.


I did a little digging for you. Here are some reputable organizations already working to help Syrian refugees in nearby countries and links to giving online to their work in and around Syria.

Save the Children is a reputable nonreligious aid organization. 89% of funds raised go directly to providing food and shelter for children and families.

UNICEF is a worldwide organization that has a mission to help kids. In addition to basic needs like food and medical care, UNICEF helps provide counseling and education for refugee children.

Samaritan's Purse is an organization that aids those in need in the name of Jesus.  They partner with local organizations and people in some of the most difficult parts of the world. At least 90% of every dollar given goes directly to providing for the needs of refugees.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for this blog... I have so struggled as to what is right to do about this situation... I agree that prayer is our best option (always). And that helping the refugees is also a way to let the name of Christ be proclaimed..
    Jan Elsasser

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm glad it is helpful. One of my goals in this blog is to take complex issues and boil them down to the simple answers. And the answers always include Jesus.

    ReplyDelete