시리아라는 나라는 한국과는 수교를 맺지 않은 유일한 중동 국가지만 성경에서 다메섹이라는 지명으로 기독교인들에게 익숙한 곳이며, 2009년부터 일어났던 북아프리카를 중심으로 한 리비아, 튀니지, 이집트와 같은 개혁의 움직임 가운데 2011년부터 내전이 시작되어 세계적으로 알려지게 되었다. 지금은 내전이 3년이 넘게 접어들면서 650만 이상의 난민과 국외실향민들이 흩어져 ‘디아스포라’가 되어 이웃하는 레바논, 요르단, 이집트 등의 중동 국가들에 피난을 간 상태이다. 반정부군의 활동이 무장 세력단체인 이슬람 국가(IS)와 같은 준정부국가 형태의 순니파 이슬람 세력들에 의해서 확대되면서 레반트 전역까지 기독교인들을 포함한 소수종교와 인종들이 참수를 당하고, 피난가게 되면서 지금 시리아는 소망이 없어 보이는 황폐한 땅이다. 그러나 이 땅 가운데 하나님은 시리아 난민들을 통하여서 중동 땅과 세계 선교적 소명을 주시기 원하시며, 난민들을 그리스도 앞으로 인도하여 복음으로 화해케 하는 사역 가운데 부름 받은 한국 교회는 다른 어느 때보다 디아스포라 선교의 중심에 시리아 난민들을 우선순위에 두어야 할 시점에 있다.

Anti-government protests began in Tunisia, Egypt, and later spread across the Arabian countries including Syria. For three years, the death toll surpassed 130.000 in 2013, and this revolution escalated into civil war. It broke the rule, order, and peace in the middle east and darkened political situations all over the world. Syria was a beautiful country before it turned into a devastated and abused land. But now this country is empty and people left their homeland. They are called Syrian Refugee.
Then, what is the definition of a refugee? It is any person who is outside the country of his nationality and is unable to return to their country, owing to a fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality. The numbers of Syrian refugees, asylum seekers, and IDP(internationally displaced people) are growing so fast. More than 6.5 million Syrians have been displaced and more than 3 million Syrians have fled the country to countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and Iraq and become refugees. Millions more have been left in poor living conditions with shortages of food and drinking water. In particular, the Syrian Christians fled to their neighboring-Muslim countries, owing to the fear of persecution and revenge. Diaspora Syrians are under extremely high suffering and torture. We do not know why the Syrian civil war has not done yet. But, through this civil war, God opens the door for the Syrians to listen to the word of God; the Gospel. This glad tidings are not about conversion or possession but on the “reconciliation and forgiveness.”
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us”(Acts 16:9). Just as the man of Macedonia did, Syrian refugees are now begging Korean churches, saying “come over to here and help us” This voice of the Holy Spirit who urges Korean churches to leave their place and to go to Syria also displays the way of love and reconciliation. Now days Korean churches join this ministry with the UNHCR which provides shelter, protection and assistance to refugees in Syria and around the countries. Many churches around Syrian country help out NGOs such as WFP, Save the Children, Mercy Corps, Life for Relief and Development, Shelter-box, etc and they help families inside Syria and the refugees that are now living in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Armenia. They are providing emergency aid, including blanket, critical food aid, personal hygiene supplies and medicine. They are also offering pre-natal and post-natal care for infants. Also, they help the children in the crisis with temporary leaning facilities and supply necessities like food, blankets, and clothing to refugees.
While this ministry is very urgent and important, there is more besides this. The very first priority for diaspora Syrian missions is not to offer these supplies, but to bring peace between Muslims and Christians, Christians and Christians. Leaving for Syria does not mean just to give them your finances and send more missionaries to Syria. Being a peacemaker and making disciples of Jesus, who live out the Gospel of peace in the world should be the first and foremost priority for all the churches. Civil war is not just focused on political issues but can be used to uprise spiritual revival and regain the heaven perspective. By repenting the churches’ sin such as hatred, laziness of discipling congregation, political partialism and racism, middle-east churches including Syrian churches must turn back to the essence of the Gospel. These uprooted, scattered from their own homeland will gain their real identities in Christ and their new citizenship from their home country and there will be no more escape, owing to fear of future. Syrian churches should be challenged by this Gospel, the love message. Making a number of Syrian Christians is not any church’s goal anymore. Without forgiving the Muslim neighbors and Christian brother and sisters in Christ, there is no future for Syrian churches. Therefore, Korean churches need to share this messages of ‘Peace and reconciliation’ for all these diaspora syrians and other neighboring countries.

한글 초록
 Ⅰ. 들어가는 말
 Ⅱ. 시리아의 근현대사와 내전 상황
  1. 시리아의 종교상황과 정체성
  2. 시리아 내전과 IS의 등장
 Ⅲ. 흩어진 시리아 사회 속의 난민
 Ⅳ. 디아스포라 선교
  1. 시리아 난민 선교
  2. 디아스포라 선교의 중요한 메시지: 화해
 Ⅴ. 나가는 말
 Abstract
 참고 문헌

• 현한나(고신대학교, 선교학) | Hanna Hyun