蜜芽传媒

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When the picture of Aylan鈥檚 little body, still dressed in his smart clothes and immaculate shoes was first screened on 蜜芽传媒 News on Wednesday evening the whole room went quiet.

Somehow, from the crowds sleeping on the pavement behind Huw Edwards in front of Budapest Railway Station on the 10pm news, cutting away to the picture of the Turkish Policeman, gently and gracefully holding the body of three year old Aylan in his arms, for me, put the whole migrant story into a new perspective.

The reaction on social media to the picture has been mainly poignant. Most reactions nevertheless have focussed on the innocence of this young boy, and other members of his family, simply fleeing to find a place where they might live in safety away from the horrors of war.

Peter Salama, regional director of Unicef in the Middle East and North Africa, said yesterday 鈥淲e are on the verge of a lost generation of kids.鈥� When I was in Syria a few years ago now I can only remember the laughter in the school playgrounds, the wonderful faces and optimism of a generation of children who will now be teenagers and who could not imagine what might soon befall their country.

In November, I was in Nazareth, and our guide said that if we wanted to find Jesus today in Nazareth 鈥� just look at the faces of the young men of the town. For he came from here. You can see him here. He lived with Mary and Joseph here. Look at the faces of the young children and the young men and you will find Jesus - he kept on saying. Not amongst the stones and the ruins. But in the spirit of the people of the Holy Town. 鈥淚n the faces of the children you will see hope,鈥� he kept on saying.

That鈥檚 perhaps what flashed across my mind when I looked again at the sacrifice of young Aylan on the Bodrum beach. If it鈥檚 possible to see the spirit of God in the face of children 鈥搃n their innocence, unclutterdness, simplicity, beauty 鈥� how have we so constructed a world order in which this little boy can be offered up in such a way?

As a Christian I believe that God is saying to us regardless of whatever faith or nationality or background we come from, that the death of Aylan is a challenge for each of us to respond to. I would hope that there may be many prayers said for him and all children caught up in the mass migration of so many people.

Amidst all the political debate which rages the picture of that lifeless body seemed to me to demand that, whatever solutions the politicians come up with, for these children - their faith and hope in the future will be restored.

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