Desperation & Hope

I fully intended to blog yesterday, but in the end I took a Sabbath from this discipline I really enjoy.

I knew my subject, although since then the grim death toll rose from the sinking of an illegal migrant ship on its way from North Africa to an Italian island. The distance is relatively short, so it is an attractive route for a dangerous crossing. But the boat was packed with people and when many panicked and rushed to one side the vessel capsized and sank quickly. The ones orchestrating this clandestine voyage didn't even have a cellphone to call for assistance. More that 200 bodies have been recovered, many of women and children. These people would have been poor but they mustered at least a thousand dollars, perhaps two, for the privilege of ending up in a refugee camp in a foreign country. We can't imagine the desperation that drives them, although the estimable Swedish author Henning Mankell has written about an African women who escapes drowning on her way to Spain in his novel The Shadow Girls. Spain is another common destination for these asylum seekers.

We know that ships are a regular form of conveyance for those seeking a new land, whether legally or illegally. Pier 21 in Halifax was the official processing centre for hundreds of thousands of new Canadians, including my war bride mother-in-law. Canada welcomed thousands of Vietnamese boat people who risked life and limb to flee an oppressive regime. Canada has also turned away Jewish refugees during World War II and more recently ships filled with "illegals." Our history is chequered, to say the least.

I am always saddened to hear of the tragedies for those seeking some vague notion of freedom. Surely as the population of the world increases, and millions are displaced by conflict and climate these occurrences will be on the rise?

At Pier 21 churches of various stripes worked diligently to provide a welcome for newcomers. In many communities congregations banded together to offer a new beginning for the Vietnamese. Where are we today for those who need sanctuary? We began discussions about sponsorship in the ministerial in Bowmanville but we were slow to act.

We can all pray for those who experienced loss in Italy, and we can also pray for wisdom, compassion, and action for those who are seeking a way out of the darkness of their lives.

Any thoughts?