Compassion Is Never Divisive: What the Church Can Learn from Working in War Zones

At a refugee camp, a young mother named Nadia attended a literacy class with her infant always beside her. She had never been to school and could not read numbers or understand money, skills she needed simply to survive. Without them, she could not safely go to the market to buy food for her child. When asked whether the program had helped after everything she had endured, Nadia quietly wrote her name on a piece of paper. She looked up and said, “Now that I can write my name, I’m going to learn how to write my son’s name.”

That story was shared during a January Series talk by Dr. Samantha Nutt, a physician who has spent decades working in conflict zones around the world and who founded War Child Canada and War Child USA. Throughout her talk, Dr. Nutt spoke plainly about the realities of war, displacement, and hunger, particularly for children, while also insisting that compassion still matters and still makes a difference.

She reminded listeners that one in five children globally now lives in a conflict zone, and that more people are displaced today than at any point since World War II. At the same time, many wealthy nations are reducing foreign aid budgets even as military spending continues to rise. Dr. Nutt described this imbalance as deeply destabilizing, noting that humanitarian aid represents only a small portion of national budgets but plays an outsized role in keeping children alive, supporting education, and sustaining communities during and after conflict.

What stood out most was her conviction that compassion is not naïve or partisan. “We don’t all need to agree on the causes or narratives of war,” she said. “Compassion is never divisive. Compassion always unites.” In a time when many conversations feel locked into ideological camps, she challenged listeners to hold more than one concern at a time and to care about what is happening close to home without turning away from suffering beyond our borders.

For churches, this message raises important questions. Scripture consistently calls God’s people to notice those who are vulnerable and to protect those who are at risk. Compassion is not a distraction from faithfulness. It is one of its clearest expressions. Sometimes it looks like advocacy or sustained global partnerships. Other times it looks like a literacy class, a safe place to learn, or the chance for a mother to imagine a future for her child.

Nadia’s story does not offer an easy solution to the horrors of war. It does, however, remind us that small acts of care can preserve dignity and hope in places where both are under constant threat. In a world that often feels overwhelming, the church is not called to fix everything, but it is called to remain present, to refuse indifference, and to trust that compassion, practiced faithfully, still has the power to heal.

Reflection and Action Questions

• When you hear Nadia’s story, what stays with you? What emotions or questions does it surface, and why do you think that is?
• Where do you notice yourself feeling overwhelmed or tempted to look away from global suffering? What helps you stay present instead?
• In what ways do conversations about war, aid, or global responsibility sometimes become polarizing in church settings? How might compassion help create common ground?
• How does our congregation talk about global crises? What stories shape our understanding, and whose voices are we hearing or missing?
• What might it look like for our church to hold concern for local needs while also remaining attentive to suffering beyond our borders?
• How do we help one another remember that compassion is a faithful response, even when problems feel too large to solve?

Possible actions to consider together:

• Set aside intentional time in worship or small groups to pray for children and families affected by conflict.
• Learn about one organization or mission partner working in humanitarian response and discuss how their work aligns with your congregation’s values.
• Invite someone with experience in global mission or humanitarian work to share stories that put a human face on global crises.
• Examine how your church talks about aid, justice, and compassion, and consider whether fear, fatigue, or division are shaping those conversations.
• Encourage sustainable commitments rather than one-time donations or actions. Trust that faithfulness over time matters.