In the wake of World War II, many people all over the world were no longer considered homeless or displaced as neighborhoods were destroyed and innocent people were held captive–they were refugees. A few years following the two nuclear bombs dropped in southwestern Japan, the General Assembly of the United Nations created The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and eventually laid the foundation for World Refugee Day.

Commemorated every June 20, the UNHCR encourages the world to “champion their right to seek safety, build support for their economic and social inclusion, and advocate for solutions to their plight.”

In 135 countries globally, humanitarian efforts and missionary outreach work in concert to help those forced to flee a country to escape persecution or find help to live. UNHCR shares that near the beginning of 2023, 117.3 million people left their homes because of wartime, foreign conflict, or domestic terrorism–40% of them are children.

Emergency villages, supplying life’s basics, and organizing safety are essential for these innocent families unwilling to live nomadic lifestyles. If ever there was a need for the Great Commission, it was during World Refugee Day. What are the Church’s exploits and how are God’s people approaching this pandemic outreach?

The Reach of the Church for Refugees

Churches of every denomination and organizations of every faith could unite to serve refugees in global nations, and they may still need help. With over 110 million adults and children running from shelter to shelter to escape the perils of war, there is work to be done.

Refugees require sacred support during the years-long war in Ukraine and genocide in Sudan, senseless mass murderers and generational disturbances in Myanmar and Somalia, and present natural rights crises in Afghanistan and along the Gaza Strip. Ecumenical organizations like Save the Children, CRU, and World Relief amp up efforts to provide aid and support during World Refugee Day. Yet, based on images via television and reports on the radio, it’s clear one day of the year is not nearly enough.

The UN Refugee Agency published a report underscoring that need. Among the nearly 120 million people who are displaced worldwide, fewer than 1% have been able to resettle in a new country.

The Catholic Church issued a statement from Pope Francis on World Refugee Day declaring the theme for this year’s “World Day of Migrants and Refugees,” the last day in September. The banner for this year’s humanitarian outreach from the Holy See is “God walks with His people.”

“It is a path to be undertaken in a synodal way,” the statement continues, “overcoming all threats and obstacles to reach our true homeland together.  During this journey, wherever people find themselves, it is essential to recognize the presence of God who walks with His people, assuring them of His guidance and protection at every step.  Yet it is equally essential to recognize the presence of the Lord, Emmanuel, God-with-us, in every migrant who knocks at the door of our hearts and offers an opportunity for encounter.”

World Refugee Day Creates Home Away from Home

Under the banner of “Hope Away from Home,” the UNHCR published images and quotes from global refugees displaced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, and even in Latin America, running from cartel oppression and terrorism.

Iryna, a refugee from Ukraine, fled the Russian air raids with her two daughters and ended up with a sponsor church in Philadelphia. On the reason for fleeing, she said, “My children. That my children live in peace so that they can have a good education, a good job, and be good people, whether in America or Ukraine.”

This UNHCR video conveys more of that emotion.

In a statement earlier this year, the Pope commissioned the approximate 1.4 billion Catholic Church adherents to be the “hospitable fraternity” of global cities and to “work tirelessly” to help refugees.

“I encourage you to work tirelessly to eradicate this indifference,” Pope Francis said, “so that when a migrant brother or sister arrives, they will find in the Church a place where they will not feel judged, but welcomed; where hunger and thirst can be quenched, and hope revived.”

Matthew 28:19-20 is the clarion call for the Church’s outreach to corral the lost, minister to the hurting, and shelter refugees.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As local churches and global outfits encourage the Body of Christ not to lose sight of those we can’t see, days like World Refugee Day remind us there is much more to do.