SHARE THE JOURNEY
During this Lent, Development and Peace has chosen "Share the Journey" as the theme for its campaign.
There are 68.5 million people in this world who have been displaced from their homes, many of these from their own countries.
Contrast this with the population of Canada that in 2018 included 37 million persons. Development and Peace joins Pope Francis and the United Nations in asking us to welcome those who have been displaced. The Pope urges us to cultivate a "culture of encounter" and tells us that when we welcome the stranger we are welcoming Jesus.
During Lent we shared stories of first encounters with persons from another culture and of how we felt gifted and enriched by these encounters. One lady from Ghana said that the first words spoken to her were "Welcome, my country is now your country." That woman now works with refugees and welcomes them to her country and continues to share her experience.
All of us are invited to "Share the Journey" to be in solidarity with our displaced sisters and brothers through prayer, taking part in fund-raising activities such as walks, donating, and, should we come face to face with a displaced person who has entered Canada, say "Welcome".
Source: Ms. Dorothy Guha
