Life always finds a way to fill me with wonder, even when I see the destruction taking place on many levels.  In Canada, we only must go outside now to see and feel the forest fires that are taking place, yet thousands of kilometers from home.  There are also many wars creating their own share of devastation, as we’re seeing in Sudan right now.  And what can we say about the continuing exploitation of the most vulnerable in our societies, as in Haiti?

However, despite all this suffering, life always finds a way to fill me with wonder.  For example, when a group of young Secondary 1 students from a Montreal school, under the leadership of their teacher, decide to bring aid to two refugee families in Sherbrooke, it tells me that goodness can triumph over evil.  When a group of refugees, with the help of their counselor, decide to organize themselves to offer activities to other refugees, I sense their desire to share what’s best in themselves and their wishes to move beyond their fears of being in a new country.  When small groups of believers prepare a potluck meal for a collection that will benefit refugees, it shows me that the spirit of the Good Samaritan is always present.

These seemingly insignificant gestures are of the utmost importance, for they are seeds that will bear fruit in the future.  I therefore invite you, in turn, to sow your seeds of love and kindness on this World Refugee Day.

Read also: June 20, 2023: World Refugee Day marked by a setback to asylum rights in Canada