Dear friends,

The gospel lesson this past Sunday was the story of the Syrophoenician woman who confronts Jesus with her ailing daughter (Mark 7). “Let the children be fed first,” he replies, “for it’s not fair to take their food and feed it to the dogs.” It’s a shockingly mean response, given his usual compassion for hurting, desperate people. But she is tenacious, and her love for her child inspires a profound retort. “Even the dogs eat the children’s crumbs.” Her courage and wisdom seem to change Jesus’ mind, and he heals her daughter. 

The region of Tyre, where this story occurred, is in modern-day Lebanon, just a few miles from Syria. She is called the “Syrophoenician” woman, with “syro” implying Syrian and Phoenician referring to the peoples and region of modern Lebanon. Today, there are literally millions of Syrophoenician women, each with a tragic, desperate story much like the one in Mark 7. By some estimates there are 12 million Syrian refugees, most of whom live in refugee camps in Turkey and Jordan, but now tens of thousands are migrating across Europe in search of safety and peace. It is a humanitarian tragedy to compare with the worst of the 20th century, and the images in the news reveal the horror and devastation. 

Just like the fiercely brave mother in the gospel story, these people will not accept our initial rejection or denial of their existence. They seek recognition of themselves and their children. They are asking for a chance at life, and they deserve more than simply the crumbs under our tables. We are the Church: the Body of Christ in the world, his hands and feet today. We must wake up to the plight of these people and realize our sacred Christian obligation to minister to them. Last Sunday Pope Francis invited every single Roman Catholic parish to welcome a refugee family—every one!  

With your help, I am confident that Transfiguration can do much more than one. 

First, I encourage you to donate to organizations that are working in the countries near Syria to serve the refugees. I support World Vision, but you can certainly donate to an organization of your choosing. Episcopal Relief and Development is working with local partners around Syria to support refugees, and they are always a good recipient of our generosity. You can support the UN’s Refugee Agency, or perhaps you know of some other way to contribute. Do please be generous. 

Second, I invite you to Transfiguraiton on Wednesday, September 30, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. to hear a presentation by the Rev. Samira Page — a former refugee from Iran and the first female, Iranian Episcopal priest — who is Executive Director of Gateway of Grace, a local refugee ministry. Gateway serves over 1,000 refugees every year, helping them establish new lives in greater Dallas after they were forced to flee their home countries. Gateway partners with a variety of churches (most not even Episcopal) to build teams that serve and support refugee families.

We will share dinner from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m., and hear from Samira about her story and the background of Gateway of Grace. Then she will lead a training from 7:00 – 9:00 for those who want to get directly involved and be part of a ministry from Transfiguration in support of Gateway’s work with refugees. 

Please RSVP to Ellen Dingwall to let us know you’re coming, and feel free to invite anyone you know who may want to get involved with refugee ministry but isn’t a member of Transfiguration. This evening and ministry are open to all.

Please pray for all the desperate, hurting refugees, that they may find safety and peace. And pray that we may find the courage and wisdom to offer them far more than the crumbs from our tables, but the fullness of the love and compassion of Christ. 

-Casey+