After all, Syria is almost 7000 miles from the US.
Except that it's not.
Syria is right here on this blog post.
Syria is this pair of women, now widowed, and their nine children, who all live in one room.
Families Impacted by Crisis from World Help on Vimeo.
Syria is, now, quite literally, in Jordan and other neighboring countries, who are struggling to support the influx of refugees. While more than two million Syrian refugees are camping in neighboring countries, another four million displaced Syrians are still within the country's borders.
One of the largest Syrian refugee camps is Zaatari. Home to over 130,000, it is now considered the second largest city in Jordan. This month, as a part of World Hunger Action Month, we're partnering with WorldHelp, a faith-based humanitarian organization, to help provide necessities (think: food, water, shelter) to the people in Zaatari.
Hunger is something that many of the refugees face daily.
So many times we see human suffering and turn away. We rehearse private reasons for withholding help in our minds... in the secret places where we can easily justify our actions. We lie to ourselves in those dark recesses.
So I invite you to bring your excuses to the light. Let's test them in the daylight, and see if they can still stand. Let's really think about what #SyriaIs...
1. Syria is far removed from our westernized lives here in the US.
The devastation in Syria began with peaceful protests, seeking political change. It has exploded into civil war. Civil war has happened here before, and it could happen again. The people in Syria are just that, people. Average families like yours and mine. Don't let distance and culture differences become fodder for denying the humanness of the Syrian people.
2. Syria is in the Middle East and will never be an area of peace, so we're wasting our time and resources if we send help.
What's happening in Syria is the largest ongoing humanitarian crisis. And while we can't control what warring factions may decide to do tomorrow, we can decide to help innocent people who are victims of terrible atrocities today. Over half of the refugees are children.
3. Syria is a huge humanitarian crisis. I can't give a large amount, so anything I could give would not be missed.
Give what you want to give. The people of Syria don't need our pity or charity; they need our support. They need us to stand in the gap for them while they seek to put their lives back together.
We each can contribute a small amount which will combine and multiply to provide much-needed food, fresh water, and hygiene items.
4. Syria is a governmental/political problem.
Governments are, at their base, just people: people who represent other people. We cannot control what the Syrian or US governments or United Nations decide to do. We can only choose to be people who are helping other people.
What lies are you telling yourself about the situation in Syria? Share your lies in the comments below or by tweeting with the hashtag #SyriaIs.
Clicking the giant red button below will give you the opportunity to share your harvest with the people of Syria.