‘Enough is Enough’

Rev. William Khalil of Almanarah Presbyterian Church in London, Ont., is feeling first hand the immense impact of the Syrian refugee crisis. As a church body with familial ties in Syria, this Almanarah congregation finds itself crying out for the peace of God—a prayer Khalil feels is the only response left.

“There are a lot of stories out there that I have stopped reading. Enough is enough,” said Khalil. “The only one who can approach this is God. It’s above my ability and the ability of my people to handle all the persecution.”

Almanarah London hopes to extend hospitality at this time more than ever. Within the past two months, the church has welcomed in a recent immigrant couple and their two children to be a part of their church family—a family that has watched the graphic tragedy that exists in Syria growing worse with time.

Khalil believes even this young family’s ability to immigrate to the U.S. and later Canada is a rarity. From what he has heard from family and friends in Syria, the ability for Christians to escape is next to impossible.

“We cry for our family members, wishing there was a way to bring them. All the family we have over there won’t make it. The Christian people of Syria have a difficult time leaving because they are persecuted for being Christians. Even if they are found out in the midst of immigrating, they will be thrown overboard. Some would prefer to die in their homes than die out at sea,” said Khalil.

There are Almanarah Presbyterian churches in Mississauga, Hamilton, London and Winnipeg. Almanarah means lighthouse in Arabic and the churches exist to reflect God’s light in their cities, especially to those who come from Arabic-speaking countries.

“Our purpose is to be a family for newcomers and to walk through life with them,” said Khalil. As a part of their regular mission, the London congregation is trying to extend relentless hospitality to recent immigrants by helping them get established, find jobs and places to live. Because of this experience, Khalil believes that Almanarah churches across Canada are a key resource for Christians to consult during this time of crisis and interest in refugee sponsorship.

“The church needs to help support families in the Middle East to come over. We have the language and ability to provide support … [and] the PCC as a whole has the resources and heart to make an impact. Practically speaking, congregations that desire to do something should go to an Almanarah congregation and ask for people in the Middle East to cry for, to pray for and to support. I assure you there is a long list of families we have needing that support. It will be a wonderful place to start,” he explained.

Through the trying times, Khalil continues leading his church in remembering what the word of God has said about suffering.

“The Middle East is the land of Jesus Christ—we know that it is normal that we’ll face persecution because that’s what Christ told us. We as a church encourage people to face the troubles and depend on His protection. We know that God is living and we know that He is protective,” says Khalil.

The global church must continue to pray for wisdom and resources to help brothers and sisters in the Middle East, said Khalil. Though there seems to be no hope to cling to in a situation such as this, he urges the church to remember its purpose.

“When Muslim people need help they go to the mosque, and Jewish people to the temple. Just the same, when Christians need help, they need to go and rely on the church, not the government. We as a global body need to be praying consistently for peace and protection, for perseverance and strengthening of faith. Those in the Middle East are a part of us, and if we are in a safe country, that gives us even more responsibility to act in these times.”