Yesterday was World Refugee Day.

Reuters AlertNet, a humanitarian news source, has, over the past couple months, been covering stories of the worlds displaced individuals. According to John Holmes, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 27.1 million people were displaced within their own countries in 2009 and it’s looking as if we see an even high number in 2010. There were 43.3 million forcibly displaced people around the world in 2009 - the highest number since the mid-1990s. All over the world (US included) people are torn from their homes due to natural disasters, war, conflict, human trafficking, loss of income, etc.

The video here is about a tribe in northern Columbia that is right now facing the possibility of being uprooted from their home due to threatening conflict.

This link will take you to a photo gallery providing a brief visual to the lifestyle of a displaced person.

For a more in depth look into the stories of people groups and their displacement, check out the article.

Refugees are protected by laws and cared for by which ever country they have sought refuge in. Internally displaced people, on the other hand, are really left to fend for themselves. They are vulnerable and at risk of being subject to attacks by their countries own rebel groups.

The stories of these people and the pictures and videos are a bit overwhelming to me. I don’t like it when I displace my keys; I can’t imagine what it would be like if I were the one who was displaced.

After reading about this and thinking on what it means to be uprooted from your home, I remembered an article that fellow ConversantLife.com columnist, Mark Russell, wrote for the Lausanne World Pulse.

In the article, titled Migration, Displacement and the Kingdom of God, Mark talks about this issue of displacement and what our response as Christians should be. He says our response should look like this:

Be encouraged that our Lord is mindful of the oppressed and is disturbed by injustice.

Seek to define our role as the Body of Christ. By defining our role, we will be led to advocate for those who are being oppressed.

Develop situational approaches that help the aliens in our midst.

The United Nations can declare a day to be refugee day, but as followers of the Christ who never had a place to lay his head, everyday should be refugee day. Everyday the church should be caring for the displaced, the refugee and for the foreigner among us (Arizona not to be excluded).

While humanitarian groups are doing what they can to assist refugees and the displaced, let us not forget to speak to our God who listens to our words as we ask for protection and safety for those in need.

"Finally brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.  And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men - " (2 Thess. 3:1-2)