WE CHOOSE WELCOME!
We Choose to Love, rather than Fear the immigrant, the stranger among us.
Ocean View Presbyterian Church has a history of helping refugees and immigrants. We have joined with other congregations in our faith community to support refugee resettlement.
How Can You Help?
- Volunteer and donate at a local refugee resettlement agency
- Refer to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance resources to learn about the rigorous refugee screening process
- Inform others
- Let local leaders know that you, personally, support refugees from Syria and other parts of the world
- Contact U.S. senators and representatives when action alerts come from the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness.
Our nation, for decades, has chosen hope and welcome for those fleeing war and persecution. Since 1975, more than three million refugees have found safety and security within our nation’s borders. Right now 11 million Syrians cannot go to school, tend to their land, or raise their children in the place they know as home. They cannot do these things because they, themselves, have been terrorized for far too long by numerous factions, including their own government.
More than 250,000 Syrians are estimated to have died since civil war broke out in the country five years ago. Another seven million are displaced. The United Nations and other world organizations say the crisis has set Syria’s development status back by four decades.
Links to More Information About Syria
We encourage you to visit the PC(USA) website to learn more about the Syrian crisis and how you can help. Below are a few links to get you started.
‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?
38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,[a] you did it to me.’
Matthew 25: 34b-40
(nrsv)
