Rejoice, seated in a boat, next to her floating garden plant beds.
In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
“I began with a makeshift shelter from twigs covered with pieces of plastic sheets, just to put a shade on my children.” Rejoice recalls her return to South Sudan, after she and her children had been displaced by conflict.
Sadly, her words echo the heartbreaking story of millions of displaced people around the world. Across the world families are forced from their homes by conflict, persecution, climate disasters and other emergencies.
God is our place of refuge, affirms Psalm 71. The Lord is not distant or indifferent to our struggles; when the storms of life are threatening to overwhelm us, he is our safe place.
We, in turn, are called to be a source of shelter and warmth for others. Through our acts of love and generosity, we can bring God’s tangible presence in times of crisis.
Thanks to the generosity of CAFOD supporters like you, Rejoice has been able to start rebuilding her life. Cultivating vegetables on her floating garden means she can now feed her family and have hope for the future.
As we reflect today on God’s sustaining love, let’s seek to be a refuge for our neighbours, whether nearby or across the world.
Prayer
Sheltering God,
in you I take refuge.
May others find warmth
and refuge in me.
Amen.
