World Refugee Day 2025

A REFLECTION FROM FOR THE NATIONS DC BOARD MEMBER BASHAR AYESH

As we approach World Refugee Day on June 20, I’ve been praying deeply about what it truly means to love our neighbors—especially those who have been forced to flee their homes, often with little more than hope and courage.

According to the most recent UNHCR report*, more than 120 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced—the highest number ever recorded. Among them, over 43.3 million are officially recognized as refugees.

These aren’t just statistics. They are people, each bearing the image of God, each carrying a sacred story of loss, endurance, and longing for safety.

One story close to my heart is that of an Afghan family who fled Kabul in the wake of the Taliban’s return. The father, once a partner in international peacebuilding efforts, became a target. With their three young children, the family left behind all they knew—arriving in the U.S. with a handful of documents and a fragile thread of hope.

Their path was perilous, but their faith unshaken. Today, they’re learning English, navigating complex systems, and rebuilding their lives with grace, grit, and dignity.

THE BIBLICAL CALL TO ACTION

The Bible offers us more than a call to empathy—it commands action rooted in memory and mercy:

“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:34)

OUR INVITATION 

While none of us can shoulder the global crisis alone, each of us is invited to participate in God’s redeeming work by choosing welcome, by showing up, and by listening.

I invite you to take these simple, faithful steps:

• Raise awareness by sharing stories that humanize and honor displaced families
• Pray—for those still in exile and for those rebuilding new lives in our neighborhoods
• Support refugee families through friendship, advocacy, and acts of tangible love

Whether you share a post, offer a prayer, or extend a hand of friendship—your witness matters. Together, we can remind the world that displaced people are not forgotten. They are seen, loved, and welcomed in the name of Christ.

With hope and peace,

BASHAR AYESH

Outreach Officer, FTNDC Board of Directors