It sounds like something one would read in a history book. Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their home countries as refugees from war and persecution seeking safety and freedom in Europe. But this is not from the annals of the past. Tragically, this is a modern day crisis, and even more tragically, thousands of people are losing their lives. Many are taken advantage of by human traffickers.
Melissa Fleming, the spokeswoman in Geneva for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said that the smugglers “… have absolutely no regard for human life.”
I have written about life issues, such as assisted suicide and the on-going Planned Parenthood scandal. This migrant crisis is yet another demonstration of unthinkable attacks on human dignity. And it is one that is under-reported. Human beings are made in the image and likeness of God; therefore, human life is sacred from conception to natural death. Part of defending that sacredness is ensuring that people can live in freedom and security, not under oppression and in the midst of war. This is something we must not forget and these people’s anguish is something we must not forget.
As we go about our daily lives and are absorbed in our daily activities, it is all-too-easy to forget about the hardships of people an ocean away. When we do focus on it, we can easily feel helpless in the face of enormous and tragic injustices such as these. However, let us allow these feelings to keep us humble and grateful for the basic human freedoms we enjoy and too often take for granted. Let us remember these suffering people in our prayers and raise awareness of their plight in whatever ways we can, always knowing that Christ has gained the final victory over all suffering and death through His cross and Resurrection.
About The Contributor
