Last August, we all watched with concern as Kabul fell to the Taliban, and hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled their homes. Front page headlines translated into an unprecedented response. A historic evacuation effort led by the American military created the opportunity to resettle a record number of Afghans in this country, and communities across the country responded with an outpouring of support.
As one of nine official resettlement agencies that works with the State Department, my colleagues and I at World Relief have helped to resettle 2,300 Afghans to date. As that story fades from the headlines, the needs in the Afghan community continue on. The day-to-day work of helping people find jobs, secure homes during a housing shortage, and recover from the trauma caused by last year’s events is hard work that requires persistence and long-term commitment. The needs will continue long after the headlines have faded.
Now, war rages in Ukraine.
Again, we see human suffering brought on by the evils of armed conflict. The dramatic images of the moment are again motivating people to act. People are giving generously, praying for peace, and making a profound statement of solidarity and support. Again, the government is considering ways to fast-track the process to welcome Ukrainian refugees.
These moments of great suffering draw on many of our emotions. We are simultaneously heartbroken by the suffering we see in the world yet encouraged by the many acts of love and support being extended. John Helliwell, a founding editor of the World Happiness Report, notes that while people are often skeptical of society’s goodwill, when “actual disaster happens, and they see other people responding positively to help others, it raises their opinion both of themselves and of their fellow citizens.”
Any of us who have seen the news recently have felt the tension — there is evil and pain mixed with compassion and response. There are risks if we give but don’t do so with the right heart. It is essential to reflect on the question of whether our generosity is motivated by our own happiness or out of a deep sense of compassion for others.
Jesus warned us of giving to be seen by others (Matthew 6:4), and called us to give out of poverty and sacrifice rather than out of our abundance (Mark 12:43-44). Christ’s teachings and example draw us a model of generosity where awareness becomes compassion coupled with action. Henri Nouwen once wrote,
Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears … Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.
The people of Ukraine are suffering, and our eyes should rightly be on them. However, we should allow our feelings of empathy to grow into a continued practice of compassion rather than resting in the momentary happiness we find when we have taken the first step toward generosity.
Six months ago, the generous support of millions of Americans was unprecedented, and we have reason to have hope that our new neighbors will find welcoming communities.
But I have also been inspired by the many volunteers who showed up day after day long after the headlines faded. I think of a furniture store owner in Wisconsin who for months has donated a mattress to every Afghan child arriving in his community. Or a volunteer in North Carolina who has made dozens of airport runs to pick up his new neighbors. Or the countless others setting up apartments, driving people to doctors’ appointments, or helping kids get enrolled in school.
What our World Needs Now
There is great need for the Church to put our beliefs into action and for Christ-followers to pursue a dual worldview of belief and action. It might sound like hyperbole, but in reality, the world is experiencing some of the most dramatic disasters and declines in development in recorded history.
