Firstly, I’m not talking about Lord of the Rings. Though if you thought that you win cool nerd points.
Moria is the detention camp where we are working this month. It’s a detention camp, not a refugee camp, because there are legally no more refugees in Greece after March 20 according to the EU-Turkey accord.
Sunday at midnight I walked into Moria for the first time. I spent 8 hours very early Sunday morning manning the command tent. It was a quiet shift and I didn’t do much.
About 1 am I found some paper and a pen to try to write my thoughts and feelings. I ended up with 3 separate things that helped give voice to the all that was running through my head and heart.
Here they are. They aren’t polished or perfect. I just wanted to share my first night.
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is it enough?
distributing diapers
giving hugs and smiles
it doesn’t feel like enough
acronyms fly
at lightning speed
through air saturated
with cigarette smoke
and waning hopes
where is the meaning?
small conversations
bring light to a dark
and lonely night
meaning is found
in shared humanity
Jesus will always be enough
even if I never say His name
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Another thing I wrote down was a list of all the countries represented in the general population Moria. There might be others in the camp; there is a section for family housing and another for vulnerable cases that I didn’t have housing information for.
I was once again floored by the scope of the flood of people into the EU. All of these people are seeking a better life in a new country. Many will never receive the chance.
Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Iran, Yemen, Cameroon, Congo, Nigeria, Nepal
Most of these peoples are classified as migrants. They are not running from a recognized war so they are not considered refugees. Unless they have a terrifically horrible story they will probably be deported to their home country.
I am still trying to understand how all of these distinct peoples ended up together in Lesvos. It seems like a glimpse of heaven to me. All night I had one verse on repeat in my brain.
Revelation 7:9-10 (VOICE)
After I heard about these who would be sealed, I looked and saw a huge crowd of people, which no one could even begin to count, representing every nation and tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and waving palm branches. They cried out with on loud voice.
Crowd: Salvation comes only from our God, who sits upon the throne, and from the Lamb.
My prayer all night was that not just the tribes and tongues I heard and saw but the very people I saw and heard would be joining me in heaven one day.
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