Some friends suggested we view The Return: Life After Isis produced for CBC’s The Passionate Eye. The documentary is disturbing but important to watch. Director Alba Sotorra spent two years filming in north eastern Syria in the al-Roja refugee camp which holds some 60,000 women and children and among them, and separated from the rest, are several hundred ISIS 'brides' who were persuaded to join the ISIS cause through its global social media propaganda machine. These women and their children are there in the care of the Kurdish authorities and many have been rejected by their home countries and are now left in limbo. The film raises many complex questions for governments and families caught up in this difficult reality. So much sorrow and brokenness. It makes me look at my life and say, “therefore by the grace of God.” Will authorities be able to find grace for these women and a practical and acceptable way back from these terrible choices and the already painful consequences. Can we find in ourselves the tenderness of Jesus for these women? A longer version of the documentary is available on Hot Docs and runs 90 minutes.
We were listening today to a web presentation with Mark Glanville based around his book Refuge Reimagined. Hearing again the global refugee statistics is both alarming and overwhelming. How do we respond to this crisis and more particularly how does the Church respond? Mark said at one point, “ In order for the church in the West to heal we must discover the tenderness of Jesus.” It struck a chord for me, I think because of a documentary we watched a few days ago. The images and voices remain with me.
Some friends suggested we view The Return: Life After Isis produced for CBC’s The Passionate Eye. The documentary is disturbing but important to watch. Director Alba Sotorra spent two years filming in north eastern Syria in the al-Roja refugee camp which holds some 60,000 women and children and among them, and separated from the rest, are several hundred ISIS 'brides' who were persuaded to join the ISIS cause through its global social media propaganda machine. These women and their children are there in the care of the Kurdish authorities and many have been rejected by their home countries and are now left in limbo. The film raises many complex questions for governments and families caught up in this difficult reality. So much sorrow and brokenness. It makes me look at my life and say, “therefore by the grace of God.” Will authorities be able to find grace for these women and a practical and acceptable way back from these terrible choices and the already painful consequences. Can we find in ourselves the tenderness of Jesus for these women? A longer version of the documentary is available on Hot Docs and runs 90 minutes.
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