A young Moroccan man chased after Nick, an American missionary in Frankfurt: “Hey, will you please teach me the Bible?” And in Munich, over 70 young (mostly) men walked into a church and asked the same thing. An entire refugee family arrived on the steps of a Greek church, asking to become Christians. I don’t know about you, but nothing like this has ever happened to me.

But it’s not all rosy: joblessness, sex-trafficking, and suicides are on the rise, in addition to manifestations of despair, frustration, and tremendous brokenness.

God is in control of the good, the bad, and even the ugly, shifting millions from where it was dangerous and/or difficult to hear the gospel to where they can now freely explore it, and respond. And according to Acts 17:27, He does it so that they will seek Him.

Thousands of agencies worldwide are responding passionately to the refugee crisis, but Christians have something unique: the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sharing this good news does not exempt us from addressing urgent physical needs (hardly! read Matthew 25), but the Bible holds the message that will ultimately change lives for eternity. And if those who know Christ do not share this good news, who will?

Refugees, and others, are looking for something unchanging, a message of love and peace and acceptance and permanence, and lasting hope.

Let’s tell them of the One who is able to fill all of these longings.

Kay Burklin is MTW’s refugee liaison for Europe.