I walk because God is El Roi

"Hagar and Ishmael" by Jean Charles Cazin

Remember Hagar? God had given Sarah and Abraham the promise of a child. The problem was that Sarah was too old to have a baby. Instead of believing the Creator of the universe (hindsight is 20/20, I know) she did what was a common practice at that time, she gave her servant, Hagar, to her husband to have a child on her behalf. Later Sarah despised Hagar and abused her . God came to Hagar, an Egyptian servant girl (who didn't know Him) in her distress twice (that we know of).Once when she was newly pregnant , alone and fleeing the abuse of her mistress Sarah, and another time, after having been sent away with her son, Ishmael, into the desert by Abraham. She sat a ways off watching her son die from lack of water. Imagine that. God met her and rescued her and her son. She called Him, El Roi, the God who sees.

A few months ago at church, we sang a new (to me) song called “Strong God” by Meredith Andrews.
The lyrics are: 
Father to the fatherless, Defender of the weak, Freedom to the Prisoner, we sing
This is God, in His holy place, this is God, clothed in love and strength
Sing out lift your voice and cry out, Awesome is our strong God, mighty is our God
You’re with us in the wilderness faithful to provide, Every breath and every step we see
This is God in His holy place, This is God clothed in love and strength.

Now, I know it was written by nice suburban folk for nice suburban folk with a metaphorical flair- I mean, I have been on this earth for 33 years and have never really seen a literal wilderness, but I think I could say that I understand what she’s describing, I think most of us have felt, at one time, this concept of a wilderness and understand the presence of God in this place. 

What struck me was the literal reality of these words experienced in the lives of refugees every day. And I cried (those of you who know me in real life know that I don’t cry). I thought of my friends here in the U.S. who have been through so much, I thought of their relatives still in danger and hopeless. I thought of the countless thousands running from Syria right now. I thought of those people who are just trying to live and provide for their families and teach their children to be good people but their lives are interrupted by war and murder and fear.

The line “This is God in His holy place” was such a reminder to me of God’s greatness, bigness and goodness. This is who God is, God see’s refugees. He is their father and defender. He sees us in our metaphorical and spiritual wildernesses and he sees refugees in the literal wilderness that they pass through to find safety. 

I walk for Exodus because the mission of Exodus is to foster relationship between refugees and volunteers from the local Church.

I walk for refugees because God sees them in their wilderness. For me, walking alongside refugees as they find "home" is an act of worship. 

Click here to support refugees for the 2013 Run/ Walk for refugees