It has fallen to the least well off member of the European Community to bear, proportionally, the greatest burden of the Refugee Crisis. They flow from Afghanistan to Syria in an attempt to escape from the culture of death which characterises many of their homelands.
It has been a happy coincidence that the Greek Isle of Lesbos is a mere four miles across the Aegean Sea from Turkey giving the refugees their best chance to reach Europe. In fact 600,000 have chosen this route with an eightfold increase this January over last January’s figure.
This speeding of the flow has been stimulated by the European states discussing how to stem the refugee tide. The people smugglers operating from Turkey charge exorbitant fees, sell them fake lifejackets which don’t float and load them into unseaworthy boats. It’s a miracle that only 4,000 have died on the crossing.

The bulk of the refugees come from Syria where the fighting is now in its 5th year. A partial truce came into force recently which has curtailed the aerial bombardment and allowed some respite to those of the population who haven’t the means to flee. Unfortunately this has been offset to some extent by ISIS using sulphur mustard gas loaded into artillery shells. This may be part of the legacy of ‘Chemical Ali’s’ hoard from the days of Saddam Hussein. The gas, which is banned by the Geneva Convention, burns the skin, the breathing passages and eyes. The targeted people have no means of defence against this evil.

In Bible times St Paul headed in the same direction. He would have sailed past Lesbos on his third missionary journey as he travelled to Troas then, in answer to the Macedonian call to come over and help them, sailed for Greece landing at Philippi.
It would not have been so crowded in those days! This was the route the Gospel took when it arrived in Europe!
It started innocuously in a prayer meeting outside the city gate, by a river, run by a woman called Lydia with her household. They believed the Gospel and were all baptised in the river (Acts Chapter 16 verses 11 – 15).
It was in Philippi that Paul and Silas landed in jail for delivering a demon possessed girl thus depriving her owners of the money she earned for them!
In prison that night there was an earthquake which miraculously freed the chained prisoners. The jailer thinking the prisoners had escaped was about to kill himself when Paul restrained him…”and the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God” (verses 29 – 34).
St Paul’s trip to Greece was no tragedy and our prayer should be that for many coming looking for a new life in Europe they may find it in Christ, be delivered from the past like the girl and given something to rejoice over similar to the jailer and his family.