S2-Day 2: God in the Rehabilitation Centre

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” (Matthew 2:13) 

Pastor Mathi, good friend Rajan and I often spend time on the beach which is located in the southern part of Delft Island. Whenever we go, we really feel comfortable and relaxed as we breathe the fresh sea air, dipping our legs in the cool water and doing some fishing, usually getting good fish, tiny grabs. 

But that day we didn’t find any fish to cook. We decided to have a talk for a little while and to do some fishing. Delft island where we ministered was in between Rameswaram (India) and Jaffna (Sri Lanka). I was missing my friends and family in India, and I expressed my feeling to the others. And finally we decided to have a talk facing the Indian side of the sea. 

In the dark night we suddenly saw a huge light source had risen up over on the opposite side. We were astonished, and curious to know the source of the light. Rajan said it was coming from the Bamban Bridge in Rameswaram. I said, “no way, how come that’s possible?” 

I searched the destination of the light source, and I was convinced that the light from the Bamban Bridge. I asked Rajan how he knew this before we searched on the Google Map. He said he was in India as a refugee in the Banban rehabilitation centre. At the peak of the civil war in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Tamils migrated to other parts of the world seeking asylum. Rich people could flee to western countries, but poor families like Rajan’s had to flee from Sri Lanka to India in tiny boats without having any safety measures, secretly travelling in the dark nights on the rough sea with their children, elders, and pregnant women. Likewise, Rajan and his sister’s family had migrated to the southern part of India to seek asylum. Rajan came back to his island to look after his elderly brother and one of his sisters. 

But his younger sister’s daughter and husband were still living in a rehabilitation centre located in Pudhukottai district. ‘Rehabilitation’ was to ensure new life to asylum-seekers who were in the process of integrating with the society. But here, they lived a horrendous life in the so-called rehabilitation centers. This became a place of sorrow, agony, sadness, lifelessness, and hopelessness. Do you know why? 

It is a matter of wellbeing: they had taken a risky journey to save their lives and have a bright future. They have been living as refugees since 1990. They lost their identity, their peace, their right to life. They were confined to live in dirty surroundings in small tin huts. Do you think they can have a good, happy and peaceful life in the rehabilitation centers? With no legal status, the youth were ‘nobodies.’ few civil rights movements have been raising this issue in the parliament from 2000 onwards. But still they are considered as aliens in India. 

As Jesus migrated from Egypt as a child, here are many amongst us. What is our responsibility towards them? Do we forever remain ‘us’ and ‘them’? We have the responsibility to meet them, talk to them, advocate for them and also love them as we love ourselves. Can we do it together? 

Prayer 

God of life, we pray for our brothers and sisters who are living in the rehabilitation centers and refugee camps. Thank you for stimulating us to think about their pathetic journey to find a peaceful life. They have been intimidated by the evil forces which prevail in our society, and long for a healthy and peaceful life .Liberating God, we ask your mighty guidance and presence to lead us to advocate for their freedom from this bondage. Sustaining God, we humbly ask you to pour your Holy Spirit on them to breathe comfort. We ask these things in the name of Christ Jesus who fled as a refugee to Egypt. Amen 

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Author: W. Jebasingh Samuvel 

About the Author: W. Jebasingh Samuvel is a passionate Christian artist, an independent film maker and an ordained minister of Jaffna Diocese, Church of South India in Sri Lanka. He migrated to Sri Lanka in 2017 and currently serves as a presbyter in CSI Church, Colombo.