Jenny’s letter 21st June
Dear Friends,
As I write this, it is International Refugee Day. The statistics are sobering. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at the end of 2025 there were 117.8 million forcibly displaced people worldwide-people who have had to flee their homes because of war, violence, persecution, human rights abuses and other crises. Around 38% of them are children. The numbers are almost too large to comprehend. Behind every statistic is a person: a parent trying to protect their family, a child separated from friends and familiar places, a family longing for safety, stability and hope.
It is easy to make assumptions about refugees. We hear snippets of stories in the news and can be tempted to think that people are simply seeking a more comfortable life. Yet most people do not willingly leave behind their homes, possessions, communities and livelihoods. Most would much rather stay where they belong if it were safe to do so. As Christians, we are called not to judge from a distance but to see people as God sees them: fellow human beings made in his image, each carrying a story we may never fully understand.
The Picture is of I Viaggiatori by Bruno Catalano. One of several life-sized bronze figures, celebrated for being fragmented at their torsos, representing the void left by emigrants leaving their homelands.
Last week I was without running water for about 36 hours. It was inconvenient, certainly, but it was never a crisis. I filled kettles, jugs and bottles. I knew the problem would be fixed. The shops were open and help was available if I needed it. Yet even that brief interruption made me realise how much I take for granted. Every cup of coffee, every shower, every meal prepared, teeth, hands, every glass of water: much of daily life depends upon something I rarely stop to notice until it is unavailable. Of course, I am not comparing my experience with that of a refugee. Not for a moment. But sometimes a small inconvenience can help us see a larger truth.
The World Health Organization and UNICEF estimate that around 2.1 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water services. While many of us simply turn on a tap, millions of people must travel to collect water or live with uncertainty about whether the water available to them is safe to drink. Perhaps one of the dangers of living in relative comfort is that we stop noticing the gifts that surround us.
The Bible consistently encourages us to cultivate gratitude. James reminds us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11), recognising that even the ordinary things we need each day come ultimately from God. When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, God provided manna one day at a time. They learned that gratitude grows not simply from abundance but from recognising God’s faithfulness in daily provision.
International Refugee Day calls us to pray for those who have lost homes, security, livelihoods and loved ones. It calls us to support organisations that bring relief and hope. It calls us to remember that every refugee is a person made in the image of God. But perhaps it also calls us to something else: to notice afresh the blessings we receive every day. A safe place to sleep. Clean water. Food in the cupboard. Family and friends. Freedom to worship. A community that cares. These things may seem ordinary. Yet for many people they would be extraordinary gifts.
So this week, perhaps before making a drink or turning on a tap, pause for a moment and give thanks. For gratitude is not simply good manners before God; it is one of the ways God opens our eyes to the needs of others and teaches us compassion. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)
Sources: UNHCR Global Trends 2025; WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene.
Every blessing,
