There’s no doubt that the world has been through the wringer over the last 12-18 months. Covid has certainly changed things for all of us and it’s still not done with.

The ‘new normal’ is yet to be fully revealed.

Have you ever stopped, during these last 18 months of stress and drama, to think about people worse off?

Did you know that while we were struggling with lockdowns and restrictions during mid 2020, there were 80 million forcibly displaced people, with over 26 million refugees? In case you were wondering, the three top countries with the largest internally displaced populations are Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria. And the top five countries where refugees come from are Syria (by far), Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar (UNHCR, 2020). 

For these people there is no ‘new normal’, that’s because there’s actually no ‘normal’ for them at all. Mostly forced to flee their homes due to conflict and violence, many of these people have left family members behind, or seen them be imprisoned or killed, often with little or no valid reason. 

So next time I’m about to complain that I have to wear a mask, or that I can only go in one entrance at Bunnings, I will do my best to remember that there aren’t just ‘some’, but in fact millions of people who are living in what appears to be a totally hopeless situation. People not just scared about what the ‘new normal’ will bring, but people who have no home, no country and in many cases little or no family.

Much has been made about the decline of mental health in the general population of western countries as a result of the pandemic and lockdowns/restrictions etc. Maybe we could spare a thought for the mental health of those 80 million people who live permanently in such a dire situation. 

What a massive problem! What can possibly be done? By whom – the rest of the world is still wrestling with COVID and it’s mutations? Is there any light at the end of the tunnel for them? What about for the rest of us? What about for the world as a whole?

The good news is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel! From the bible. 

“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’” (Revelation 21:3-4, NLT)

If that sounds like something you might be interested in, get hold of a bible and check it out!

Reference:

“Mid-year Trends 2020” UNHCR 2020 https://www.unhcr.org/statistics/unhcrstats/5fc504d44/mid-year-trends-2020.html (January 2021)