The imam sat down beside the man, gently leaned the refugee s head into his chest, and wrapped both arms around the man and the Christian chaplain. The three of them cried together. The miracle of this touch overcame the linguistic, cultural and religious barriers. Some painful memories must have triggered this response. The only thing we could do for them at that moment was to put our arms around them and hold them.
Hugs translate into love in any language.
The most effective witness that we showed these people getting their first taste of America was one of comfort, compassion, and unconditional love. Now some readers will probably write this type of evangelism off as a kind of social gospel, and dismiss it as an inadequate witness to Christ. Yet, considering what these people have experienced at the hands of those who claim to follow Christ, we believe we needed to begin by repairing the negative testimony of the church. We know that the word of God is powerful and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. We did not put this sword in a sheath by not verbalizing the Word.