To hear this letter read by Soren, click here:

The tragic events in Afghanistan these past two weeks are reminding us of another not-too-distant tragedy, one that brought unexpected joy into our family through Soren’s brother’s heart for helping and his family’s long-time tradition of hospitality. So, as we watched the fall of Kabul unfolding, at least it was with the solace of knowing that very good things can still come of it.

The grievous and heart-wrenching images may seem far-off and we may be tempted to indifference, anger, or cynicism, but—in this 5^th week of the month when we focus on Hospitality & Service, or Level 5 of your Trinity House—let’s try instead to draw closer to the Afghan people and seek to cultivate a more hopeful stance. 

But first, a flashback: Back in 2005, Soren’s brother worked for USAID in Baghdad and Fallujah. Fluent in Arabic, Kirk easily befriended Yaghdan—and many other Iraqis—who had been hired by the U.S. government to help guide reconstruction efforts. Despite the fact that Kirk’s time in Iraq was cut short by an accident, the bonds he made there would not be so easily severed.

When the U.S. forces pulled back, Yaghdan was targeted for his affiliation. On Oct. 13, 2006, he awoke to a severed dog’s head in his front yard, along with a note that read, “We will cut off your heads, and throw them in the trash.” He burned all his documents, fled to Syria, reached out to Kirk, who would field and direct hundreds of such pleas, and applied for a U.S. visa.

The ins-and-outs of Yaghdan’s story would fill a volume, but suffice it to say that in August of 2007, Soren’s parents welcomed him and his wife to Chicago, and hosted them for a year. Even after that first year, Dad was Yaghdan’s main advisor and guide to life in the U.S., providing us with a continual stream of updates about his “Iraqi son.”

Over the years, we cheered as our new brother was accepted into an MBA program, landed a good job, became a citizen, welcomed a son, and purchased a home. In more recent years, he and his wife have brought home a daughter and another son as the country they nearly sacrificed their lives to help continues to repay their friendship.

To most of us, it may seem like Soren’s parents took an unimaginably big step. In fact though, his grandmother, who lived next door during his childhood, had hosted so many refugee families over the years that it wasn’t much of a stretch to follow her lead. It was just something a Christian family did.

Scripture invites us to welcome the refugee. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus lived as refugees. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” Jesus told us in Matthew 25. “The more prosperous nations,” we read in the Catechism, “are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin.”

So, as over 100,000 Afghan refugees transition to homes in the U.S. and throughout the world, we have an opportunity to move past indifference, anger, or cynicism, and into the lives of these men, women, and children in tangible ways. We can:

• Pray and Fast. “As Christians, this situation commits us,” Pope Francis said this past Sunday. “That is why I appeal to everyone to intensify their prayer and to practice fasting….”
• Donate. There are many options, but here are two direct ways for those in Virginia: Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington and Commonwealth Catholic Charities.  
• Volunteer. Whether it’s ESL, job training, or using your influence to open a door for a refugee to gain housing or employment, consider taking that step. Here is a listing of opportunities in Virginia.

As Kabul fell, we were catapulted back to the events of 2006-2007, when we didn’t know if Kirk’s friend would ever make it to safety. We thought with gratitude of the secure life Yaghdan and his family enjoy today, and gave him a call just to hear his voice and see how they’re doing with their newborn son.

And we started to pray for all the Afghan friends of the U.S. and our loyal service men and women whose lives have been upended in these days. “This is the time to do it,” Pope Francis said. “I am speaking seriously: intensify prayer and practice fasting, asking the Lord for mercy….”

Wherever our prayer and fasting leads, may it comfort us and our Afghan friends as we seek to redeem the good in this terrible cross. Amen.