Bearing Witness

Bearing Witness tells the story of churches in downtown Istanbul have been caring for migrants and refugees for 34 years; it tells the story of the courage and resilience of the refugees they serve; and it bears witness to the faithfulness of God who is with us, who cares for refugees and shares their suffering. The stories here are a part of the bigger story of God, his work in the world, and his call on his people to bear witness to him. The presence of God in a tiny garden office in downtown Istanbul has made it a sacred space. In our current world of chaos, as we witness cruelty meted out to strangers in our midst, these stories need to be heard. In a single decade the number of people displaced from their homes has more than doubled, increasing from 60 million to 120 million. Nations build walls to keep out refugees and migrants; governments and political parties retreat to nationalism and nativism. The Church has a different mandate. Bearing Witness is a call to the global church, to followers of Jesus everywhere, to see and serve refugees and migrants, widows and orphans, the hungry, the poor, and the prisoner in obedience to his command and in response to his love.