One Person, One Life, One Difference

By Megan, Bridge Builders Network Staff

It can be difficult to look at the world right now and feel hopeful.

Across the globe, families are being displaced by war and violence. Sudan continues to face one of the world's largest displacement and humanitarian crises. Conflict and instability continue to affect communities in the Middle East, Ukraine, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo and many other places. In September, the United Nations reported that more than 50,000 peacekeepers were serving in 11 missions around the world, working to protect civilians, reduce violence and help communities move toward lasting peace.

At the same time, humanitarian organizations are facing enormous funding challenges. UNHCR recently warned that nearly 8.3 million refugees and other forcibly displaced and stateless people are at risk of losing access to vital assistance as funding falls far short of what is needed.

The numbers are overwhelming.

And when the problems are this big, it is easy to wonder: What can one person possibly do?

The temptation to feel powerless

We cannot end a war by ourselves. We cannot provide a home for every displaced family. We cannot rebuild every community affected by violence or make peace between governments and armed groups.

But perhaps that is the wrong question.

Maybe the question is not, "How can I solve this?"

Maybe it is, "What can I do for the person in front of me?"

There is a well-known story about a young girl walking along a beach after a storm. Thousands of starfish had washed ashore, and she was picking them up one at a time and throwing them back into the ocean.

An adult watching her told her that what she was doing did not matter. There were simply too many starfish. She could never save them all.

The girl picked up another starfish, threw it into the water and said, "Well, I made a difference for that one."

The story has endured because it captures something important about service. We may not be able to change the entire world, but we can change the world of one person.

And sometimes, that is where change begins.

Peace is built person by person

When we think about peacekeeping, we often picture the large institutions involved in it: governments, diplomats, humanitarian organizations and international peacekeeping missions.

Those institutions matter. The United Nations describes peacekeeping as helping countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace, including protecting civilians, reducing violence and creating the conditions for lasting stability.

But peace is not only something created in conference rooms or negotiated between governments.

Peace is also built in neighborhoods.

It is built when someone welcomes a new family into a community.

It is built when a person takes the time to listen to someone whose experiences are completely different from their own.

It is built when we choose curiosity instead of suspicion, relationship instead of isolation and compassion instead of fear.

It is built when someone sits with a refugee who is trying to navigate a new country and simply says, You are not alone.

That work may not make the evening news. It may not change an international conflict overnight. But for the person receiving that kindness, it can change everything.

A biblical call to peace

For Christians, this is more than a nice idea. It is a calling.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

Notice that Jesus does not say, "Blessed are those who talk about peace."

He says, peacemakers.

Peace requires participation. It asks us to move toward people, especially when it would be easier to look away.

And Scripture reminds us not to underestimate the value of that work. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

That encouragement feels especially relevant when the needs around us seem endless.

There will always be another crisis.

Another family displaced.

Another community hurting.

Another person who needs help.

We will never be able to respond to every need. But we can respond to the need that is within our reach.

The person in front of us

At Bridge Builders, we have seen what happens when people choose to do exactly that.

Our work with refugees and asylum seekers has never been about pretending that one organization can solve the global refugee crisis. It is about people.

It is about helping someone find housing.

Helping a child with schoolwork.

Practicing English with a new neighbor.

Connecting a family with resources.

Introducing someone to their community.

Sharing a meal.

Showing up again.

And then showing up again.

These things can seem small when compared with the scale of global displacement. But to the person experiencing them, they are not small.

A safe place to sleep is not small.

A person who answers your questions when everything is unfamiliar is not small.

A friend who invites you into their community is not small.

Feeling seen, welcomed and valued is not small.

These are the building blocks of belonging. And belonging is one of the places where peace begins.

We cannot save every starfish

There is a temptation, especially when following the news, to become overwhelmed by everything that needs to be fixed.

But we do not have to carry the entire weight of the world's suffering in order to make a difference.

We can pick up one starfish.

We can welcome one person.

We can listen to one story.

We can help one family.

We can build one relationship.

We can choose peace in one conversation.

And then we can do it again tomorrow.

Perhaps the most powerful part of the starfish story is not that the girl saved every starfish. She did not.

It is that she refused to let the fact that she could not save them all convince her that she should save none.

That is a lesson worth remembering in a world filled with conflict.

We may not be able to change the course of every war. We may not be able to end global displacement. We may not be able to solve every humanitarian crisis.

But we can make a difference for the person in front of us.

And when one person chooses to help another, that act can inspire someone else. Then another person joins. Then another.

The girl on the beach was not alone for long.

Neither are we.

Peace begins with people. And sometimes, it begins with one person deciding to care.