Community Spotlight: Refugees
Today, we walk alongside refugees. UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, estimated that there were 41.6 million refugees at the end of 2025.
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee their country because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Families often leave with little more than what they can carry, uncertain when – or if – they will ever return home.
The word refugee describes a legal status, but it does not describe a person’s worth or potential. Refugees are parents, teachers, students, artists, business owners, neighbors, and friends. Today, we remember those who continue their journey in search of peace and pray that every refugee would encounter both protection and welcome.
Scripture: Genesis 12:1 – “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.'”
Reflection
The story of God’s people begins with a journey. Before Abraham became the father of many nations, he first became a traveler. God called him to leave everything familiar – his homeland, family, language, customs, and security – and trust the Lord one step at a time.
Scripture often uses the word sojourner to describe someone living away from home. A sojourner is more than a traveler passing through. It is someone who lives as a stranger in a place not yet fully their own, depending on the kindness of others while trusting God’s faithfulness. Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly reminds His people to remember the sojourner, not as an outsider to fear but as a neighbor to love. God’s people were never meant to forget what it feels like to need welcome.
Many refugees today know the uncertainty Abraham experienced. They leave behind familiar places not because they seek adventure but because remaining is no longer safe. Their journey is marked by courage, loss, hope, and remarkable perseverance.
As pilgrims ourselves, we discover that following God often begins with leaving what is comfortable. The journey of faith teaches us that we belong ultimately not to a place but to the God who walks with us wherever we go.
Pilgrim’s Prayer
Faithful God, you called Abraham to leave everything familiar and trust Your promises. Today we pray for refugees who have also left home, often through circumstances they never chose. Be their protector, their provider, and their source of hope. Surround them with communities that offer welcome instead of fear, friendship instead of isolation, and opportunity instead of exclusion. Teach us to remember that we, too, are pilgrims learning to trust You each day. Give us hearts that gladly receive the stranger, knowing that Your kingdom grows whenever hospitality overcomes fear. Amen.
Pilgrim’s Blessing
May the God who guided Abraham through unfamiliar lands guide all who journey today. May your heart remain open to the stranger, your hands ready to offer welcome, and your life become a place where others discover the faithfulness of God. Amen.