Be steadfast in doing justice, showing kindness and loving mercy
When you receive this issue of the magazine, it will be the spring of 2019. We experience the Lord's faithfulness every year. Father God, through your prayers, support and participation, allows this text ministry to continue. thank you.
Every year, we come before the Lord to seek the annual theme, thereby knowing God more deeply and truly living out the revelations He has given us. Last year's annual theme was "The Call to Do Justice." We thought carefully, diligently investigated from various angles, reported on the current situation of global injustice, and explored how to pursue justice in the country, society, workplace, and family. Demonstrate God’s justice, as well as the comfort and hope brought by God’s love and mercy.
At this moment of writing, I had just completed an on-site visit to the refugee ministry in the Middle East and returned to my home in Pennsylvania, USA, which is like a paradise. During the short eight-day journey, I witnessed the tragic conditions of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. Since ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) began to gain power in 2012, it has ravaged northwestern Iraq and Syria in various cruel and unbearable ways, causing the displacement of 12 million Syrians (the total population of Syria is about 22 million), of which 700 Tens of thousands of people have become international refugees. Turkey (3.5 million people), Lebanon (2.2 million people) and Jordan (1.2 million people) host the largest number of them.
Not only have these Syrian refugees lost everything, many of them have also lost part of their family members. They lacked supplies and lived a miserable life in their host country, but they had the opportunity to hear the gospel because they were no longer subject to religious control in their home country. Many times I heard them mention how Christians extended their loving arms to help them. One refugee even thanked God for this war, because although he lost everything, he got to know Jesus through it, which is more precious than anything else. To them, knowing the one true God is nothing, but knowing Jesus and experiencing the love of God is extremely precious and wonderful. This has brought about earth-shaking changes in their lives and is the reason for all hope. And such changes are rapidly unfolding among many people.
At no time in my life have I felt more strongly than now the Christian determination to persevere in the pursuit of justice and mercy. According to United Nations statistics, the global population in 2018 was approximately 7.7 billion, and the total number of forced migration refugees was approximately 68 million, which means that approximately one in 11 people was displaced. Refugees have caused various economic, educational, medical, political and social injustices at all levels, and have given rise to various problems, including resentment and hatred between people. As of today, human beings are faced with countless injustices. Except for the hope that God’s love and mercy can bring to people, there is no hope and no way out.
So this year let us persist in pursuing God’s justice, love and mercy. I hope that God’s power will enable people to experience the impact of His justice in the country and society, and see many gaps of injustice, distrust, and lack of acceptance being filled, and many deficiencies being met. People no longer pursue excess only for their own enjoyment, but distribute the excess to others.
From April 4th to 7th, KRC USA will hold a spring retreat to reunite with alumni in Pennsylvania as usual. This time, the theme of "Meeting Yourself in Multiculturalism" is carefully designed. Don't miss it! For details, please check online (shen-guo.org). Looking forward to meeting you!
Lily Yang
You can also get involved in helping Middle Eastern refugees
Cross keychains are handmade for refugee children. Making one will give them about US$1.5 to subsidize their families, allowing them to work in exchange for subsidies. Please buy it enthusiastically and keep it by your side to remind yourself to pray for the suffering refugees. Please purchase more than ten at a time (one US$2), plus $5 postage.
Email: fredhuang@bethelbrc.org
Phone: 862-261-0116
Check title: BRC
Mailing address: BRC, POBox186, Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034
Author profile Gao Lili is the founder and CEO of Kingdom of God Christian Association. He has served as a senior executive in large American companies for many years and is currently in full-time ministry. He often lectures and leads camps throughout North America and Asia, and is extremely responsible for training leadership and management models that are in line with God’s will.