It’s Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent – a season commemorated through prayer and fasting in preparation of the hope that Jesus Christ has brought to this world through his life, death, and resurrection. Many people traditionally use Lent as a time to give something up, to refocus their faith.
However you plan to use this season, I want to challenge you to keep a certain group of people in your prayers: the children of Syria. On March 15, the conflict in Syria will enter its fourth year. For far too many children, this conflict has meant another year of giving up their homes and education. Far too many children have even witnessed death and bloodshed firsthand, losing their security and innocence.
Related: Syria. Why History Matters
At times like these, it’s easy to feel hopeless. We can fall to our knees but still not know what to do or what to pray. This is when prayer is needed most.
Luckily, in the Gospels, Jesus shows us how to pray. We at World Vision created this video, structured off the Lord’s Prayer, to help mobilize a movement of prayer.
This Lent, I am giving up on hopelessness, apathy, or ignorance. It’s hard to stay put and listen to stories with such hardship, but we cannot afford to lose an entire generation to senseless conflict. When all human efforts seem to fail, all that is left is boldly coming before our Lord – hopeful that God’s peace, mercy, and justice will ultimately reign through us.
Please share this video with your friends. Consider joining others around the world on March 15, the third anniversary of this conflict, by hosting a vigil – either in your church, community, or even with a few friends in your living room.
Related: Lent…My Hypocrisy, to Dust?
This Lent season, I challenge you to step into the life of a child. We have also created six story cards to put a real-life face and story to this crisis, to help you and I better understand what is going on in Syria, how this conflict has affected real children.
The stories are raw and can even leave us feeling hopeless. This Lent season, will you take on this story with me? Will you choose to mourn, grieve, and pray for this child?