Day after day, we see images of migrants and refugees, trying to escape the violence of war and the hopelessness of poverty.
Migrants and refugees are risking their lives—cramming themselves behind car engines, dying in the backs of insulated trucks, sailing in unstable vessels, slipping through razor wire fences—hoping to find asylum in the European Union.
Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing adverse conditions in the Middle East and Africa. In order to get from their home countries to the European Union, many are attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Many land in Greece, and then try to make their way—across multiple borders—toward Germany, where the likelihood of finding asylum is greater.
Germany, Greece, and other countries are buckling under the weight of so many people pouring across their borders. Germany alone anticipates 800,000 migrants and refugees to enter their country this year.
Meanwhile, in countries like Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Eritrea, the only hope of finding refuge from oppressive and violent regimes is to get out. The seemingly endless stream of people fleeing toward safety continues, until the refugees find themselves stranded in places like Turkey and Budapest—exhausted, hungry, and broke.
The European Union is going to have to figure out the best way to face this growing crisis, but as they work through the layers of red tape, children are dying, and the rest of the refugees are running out of time.
And it’s not up to the European Union alone. The problem is too big for any individual or community or church, but that does not mean we should do nothing. Here are some practical ways we can help feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and offer a glass of water to those who are waiting at the doorstep of freedom and peace: (click through to read the rest, over at the High Calling).