Isaiah 58:7
 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,  and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Reflection by BA Miskowiec

The family reached the notorious Darien Gap after a months-long journey by boat, bus and on foot. The Darien Gap is a wild expanse of jungle separating Colombia from Panama. In 2019, 24,000 people passed through the Darien Gap on their way north to safety in the U.S. It can take two weeks or longer to cross the jungle, their path threatened by wildlife, the swampy jungle itself, and bands of guerillas and the drug cartel who prey on the migrants.

When the family reached the banks of a river, they stopped for the night to pray. Their journey was not even half over. Nevertheless, they had trusted God to provide for them up to this point. Surely they could trust God to continue their protection and provision.

Reflection Questions:

  • When have you had to rely on God for provision and guidance? How can you partner with God to provide for others in your local community and in the world?
  • How would a migrant interpret the commands in verse seven to share bread, house the homeless, cover the naked, and not turn your back on your brothers and sisters?
  • The Church is the body of Christ. What are the implications of verse seven for the Church as a whole?

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BA Miskowiec is Executive Director of West Virginia Interfaith Refugee Ministry. A former attorney, Ms. Miskowiec holds a Certificate in Spiritual Formation from the West Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church. A published author, she seeks to combine social activism with spiritual formation.


Prayers of the People: Praying for Refugees and Displaced People Worldwide

These beautiful Prayers of the People were composed specially for Episcopal Migration Ministries. Download here.