The triangle of faith, hope and love is a guiding principle in my working and personal life. I work in immigration justice. These 3 words audibly come into my practice- stated aloud by asylum seekers, who fear certain death if they were to return to their country. They speak of these three universal principles as beacons of light in their dark and dangerous worlds. Their love for those they left behind can be felt- as they describe clear acts of self-sacrifice and bravery, while struggling through dangerous passages to get to their destination of safety- wherever that might be. They carry the burden of their struggles willingly, while describing the weight of fear as if it were a feather, because that fear has been lightened by tremendous hope they will make it to a safe destination. Yet, it is their faith that sustains them along their dangerous journeys. It is their faith that gives them courage to survive. It is their faith that helps them feel the hand of a Sicilian fisherman pulling them out of the water in Italy or the Coast Guard saving them in California. It is their faith that stays with them in cold and lonely moments where they have not eaten in days. In listening to their stories, I bless them for their courage. In listening to their stories, I feel blessed to be a witness to their whole journey. We end our meeting with their faith wrapping around us both in their telling and sharing, as a luminous blanket of hope and love.
On Jun 10, 2024 Julie wrote :