Comments on: A Refugee Haven

By: Stefan

Stefan — Sat, 12 Oct 2019 20:48:40 +0000

What a reassuring and inspiring report from a troubled corner of the world. Thank you Mr. Yancey.

One of your commenters wrote that Americans should be ashamed. Perhaps all people around the world could and should do more to help.

I am not American. I admire Americans for all the good they do around the world and have done in the world. No country is perfect but America really is a force for good. I come from a country that America graciously helped to get back on its feet after WWII. My country didn’t deserve the help. Whenever there is a natural disaster somewhere around the world, the Americans are almost always among the first to help and among the most generous. Giving and sharing is in America’s DNA. Is there a country around the world that has taken in more refugees and immigrants from all over the world? Is there any country that has given more refugees and immigrants hope? It treats those on its southern border so humanely, especially in comparison to other countries. Many of those it accepts would not be accepted elsewhere. This is true both of President Obama’s and President Trump’s administrations. I shudder to think what the world would be like without America using its wealth and power for good. It’s good to push America to be better and its good to call out injustice within America but I simply cannot comprehend why so many Americans have nothing good to say about their own country. Perhaps seeing more of the world would give them a greater appreciation for their own country.

By: James R. Johnson

James R. Johnson — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 15:13:20 +0000

Thank you for sharing your experience, Philip. How these refugees and immigrants are being accepted in Lebanon should shame the USA by comparison. Even though we have even more deplorable physical accommodations than those at our southern border, these refugees seem to have been granted admission to a camp where they can feel safe and where NGO’s are free to assist them, and as you have witnessed for love to be experienced. The USA by contrast is much wealthier but only seems to be capable of increasing their oppression with family separations, isolating them, and in many cases appearing to cause deliberate hardships for them.

By: Henry Hendrickson

Henry Hendrickson — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 02:17:35 +0000

The “man in white” bit is still haunting me a couple days after reading this. Thank you for relaying the message Philip.

By: Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 17:49:41 +0000

In reply to Jim Rudat. Yes, and there's a Christian network called SAT7 which produces high-quality programming in Arabic.

By: Jim Rudat

Jim Rudat — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 17:34:27 +0000

Phillip, thanks for being a voice for the voiceless, and making us aware of the harsh realities of refugee life! It is encouraging to see the church responding with active love and tangible service to these displaced fellow human beings. I pray more eyes will be opened to their plight! Besides dreams and visions, God seems to be using christian programs on satellite tv in a huge way! Have you observed the thousands of satellite dishes coming out of the tents and shanties of the camps?

By: Judy Berna

Judy Berna — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 03:47:33 +0000

I always love your writings and your posts. This was such a beautiful description of how so many people across the world suffer just to exist, while we, as Americans, have the luxury of complaining about the littlest things. Thanks for sharing your travels and your experiences with us. I will continue to feel blessed that I was ‘born in the right zip code’.
Keep writing, my friend. And get going on that memoir! There are many of us out here who are ready to dive into the story of how Phillip Yancey became the Man of God that he is today.

By: Robert Taylor

Robert Taylor — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 23:15:01 +0000

Philip: God has clearly gifted you with the ability to grab hold of hearts and minds set on themselves and redirect them to Him with prayer and thankfulness. Be encouraged in your work. I appreciate you and your writings so much.

By: Maha Guirguis

Maha Guirguis — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 20:57:25 +0000

I can’t thank you enough for showing Gid’s Heart for’us’ Middle East people.i have been to refugee camps in Lebanon& North Iraq, what He is doing is amazing,He is bringing beauty out of ashes, freeing people into The light of His knowledge.Reconciliation between Lebanese& Syrians, is amazing . A Work only He could do , alongside obedient, loving real Christians.What is happening is beyond Human Resources, it’s a work done in heaven.
Thank you

By: Eddie Chu

Eddie Chu — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 16:47:44 +0000

Thanks, Philip, for sharing how Christians are helping refugees turn to Jesus by serving refugees in love.
This reminds me of the answer my seminary professor gave when I asked him how Christianity spread rapidly in the first few centuries when there were few roads, no printing presses, or any form of communication and traveling that we have. He smiled and said simply: “By the way they lived.”
It’s a simple answer that has stayed with me. Living the love of Jesus is more powerful than any words we can utter. These Christian servants for the refugees demonstrate the love of Christ by the way they live.

By: Kathy Nesler

Kathy Nesler — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 15:46:08 +0000

Thank you for sharing. We Christians in America really have no clue. We live in our comfortable homes, go freely to church, and sit down to three meals a day and then whine and complain that this nation isn’t a Christian nation any more. We spend our time, money, and passion trying to change the system and the political outlook. We have lost our souls to affluence and freedom. We allow people to sit in office who are morally corrupt, because we believe we will win the fight against against haters through political means. I’m not sure where this post was going, really, only that American Christians live in a bubble, we have so much, yet we are soul poor. Thank you for sharing your experience. If nothing else, it has moved me to pray more deeply and complain far less.