Who is your neighbour?
We recently held a chapel focusing on the world-wide refugee crisis and how we, as Christians can respond. Rockway teacher David Harder’s introduced us to three friends of his: Nada, Salah and Riyadh. Their family has recently resettled in Canada as refugees from Iraq. Here is an excerpt from his introduction:
“Who is your neighbour? The person sitting beside you now? Those who live beside you? Across the street?
The teachings of Jesus say we must think of our neighbours as more than just the people who to live next to us. They include those who live in our community and those on the far side of the world. Our neighbours are in Kitchener and Iraq and everywhere in between.
Loving our neighbour is a universal command. The Koran states that all Muslims should love their “seventh neighbour” as much as their “first neighbour”, even if that “seventh neighbour” is of a different faith. W B. Yeats said that “there are no strangers, there are only friends we haven’t met yet”. A life where one sees a clear line between neighbours and strangers is a fearful one. It divides us, and makes us see people as the “other”.
Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) refugee resettlement program is one way to treat those who we have never met as neighbours. Over the past decade and a half, the destabilization of the Middle East, notably Syria and Iraq, has created one of the worst humanitarian crises and human migrations since the Second World War. Millions of people have either lost their lives or had them altered forever as a result. Three of these people are here with us today. Their names are Riyadh, Salah and Nada.
In September of last year, my church, Waterloo-Kitchener United Mennonite, welcomed Riyadh, Salah, Nada and their parents to Canada. They had originally lived in Iraq, but fearing for their lives, they fled to Jordan in 2014. Once they arrived here, it was my role to help them find housing, schedule medical appointments, and enrol the kids in schools, among other things. But really in the end, I feel like my greatest contribution to them was just being a friend and someone they could trust. I was a neighbour when they needed one.
A major challenge facing Riyadh, Salah and Nada is that they still have a brother overseas. His name is Haithem and he remains in Jordan as a refugee. MCC has submitted an application to the Canadian government to have Haithem resettled and reunited with his family here in Canada. As a descendent of refugees who were helped by MCC long ago, it gives me great satisfaction to repay the debt my grandparents incurred on their journey to Canada from the Soviet Union. You may not always be able to repay the people who helped you or your ancestors directly, but at some point in your life you will have the opportunity and obligation to be a neighbour to someone else.
So before Riyadh, Salah and Nada share their story I want to leave you with these thoughts.
When you think about all you want to accomplish in life, always remind yourself that no matter how much money you make, how big your house is, or what iPhone you have, it all means nothing. Ask any refugee who has had to leave their home to start over somewhere else.
Instead, live a life that focusses on people, relationships, faith, friends and family. All of those other things are just things. Strive to be kind and humble, and when you graduate from Rockway and become successful at whatever you set your mind to, always turn around and extend your hand to see if you can bring your seventh neighbour with you.”
Nada, Salah and Riyadh then spoke about their appreciation for being in Canada and the challenges still facing their family. To conclude, Kaylee Perez from Mennonite Central Committee addressed the student body. Her role is to support local congregations and community groups as they sponsor and resettle refugee families. Kaylee described the current state of the refugee crisis around the world and what small things we can do here at home to make it a more inviting place for newcomers.
