During the next few weeks many families with young children will travel to spend time with grandparents and other relatives for Christmas gatherings. Chances are good that some of those children will be cranky at times, and parents will shrug and acknowledge that being out of regular routines leads to unsettled and unhappy kids. We all get that and we know that before long patterns will return to normal.
I thought of this earlier today as I listened to a report on the one million Syrian children now living as refugees. As one United Nations worker pointed out, this is far more than temporary displacement. These children have gone through the trauma of war, often losing family members and siblings. It is the evil of this conflict that children have been targetted by snipers as well as being tortured, violating every convention and the basics of human decency.
The heightened state of alertness and terror in which these Syrian children live leads to aberrant behaviour in virtually aspect of their lives. One has to wonder whether they will ever be "normal" again, whatever the outcome of the conflict.
I have no idea what can be done to bring this tragedy to an end. I'm glad that the international community stepped back from military action and that chemical weapons are being destroyed. As we move through this Advent season we can pray, day by day, for the well-being of these children and a end to the conflict.
Any thoughts or comments on this situation?
3 comments:
Impossible to wrap my mind around the cruelty and viciousness that exists in the world. Incredibly discouraging to say the least.
I saw part of a movie last night (well, early this morning when I could not sleep) - an arms dealer stated that "... the meek do not inherit the earth - the arms dealers do - they get paid for their deliveries, to countries who then go about trying to annihilate each other - it is a legal trade, and the arms dealer is the only one who benefits." Sad, to the nth degree!
It is discouraging, especially when some of the countries which are the biggest arms producers and sellers decry what is happening in Syria.
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