Yes!

The news of Asia Bibi's arrival in Canada has once again put the spotlight on the plight of persecuted Pakistanis who have fled for their lives after being falsely accused of blasphemy. This excellent video reveals the broad scope of Pakistan's blasphemy laws and the fervent zeal of those seeking to enforce them.

I was glad to attend the North American Refugee Highway Partnership 10th Annual Roundtable in Chicago last month. This was a 2.5 day event for specifically Christian organizations and stakeholders working on behalf of refugees, asylum seekers and forcibly displaced people around the world and in our communities. There were plenery sessions, multiple workshops with opportunity for "roundtable discussions," times of worship ... and former refugees told their stories of displacement, flight, survival and eventual resettlement in the USA.

One of the blessings and the challenges in this work are the conversations with people who have been forcibly displaced. Most of those ‘conversations’ happen by way of email, but having been at this for 3 years now, there are more happening via Skype, Facebook Messenger and phone.

I would like to share 2 of those conversations with you here. English is not their first language. In order to protect their identity I have changed their names, but I have preserved their words, their message to us …

Understanding how other people are just like us makes it easier to feel compassion for them and love outside of our comfort zones.