Detained

Should all who seek to come to this country be allowed entry?

All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them. - Hebrews 11:13-16

Today's reading from Hebrews sounds like it could have been written today.  The author, originally thought to be Paul, uses the image of a refugee as a way of describing all who put their trust in God and followed Him in the hope of a new life.

When I look at the protests at the airports, I am reminded of my grandparents who came here by ship before World War I.  They had a connection here, someone in the family who had made the trip before, someone to go to and stay with when they arrived.

They may not have been loved by all, since they spoke a strange language and followed different customs, but they eventually became citizens and raised a family that was accepted as Americans.

I grew up believing that anyone who seeks a better life can come here, leaving behind the old world for the new, building a better country.

Being the romantic I am, I have always thought America was that city God prepared for those who are oppressed and rejected, abused and abandoned.

So, when I started working in Manhattan and saw how many abandoned and rejected people struggled to live on handouts while sleeping in the streets during the day, I was troubled.  How could we treat each other that way?

The battle over open and closed borders is not about faith.  It is about fear.

We fear letting everyone in and we fear repercussions from those turned away.  And we even fear violence from those who are called to protest.

I believe we can no longer leave the problems of homelessness, unemployment, poverty, persecution and addiction that plague our society to someone else to solve.  These are not just immigrant problems, I know, but they are unfortunate consequences of an overloaded system.

I met a family this week that just arrived from Peru.  They are a young couple with small children.  They are willing to work, hoping to make this their home.

No one is here to accept them into their family like my grandparents' families did.  No one knew they were coming.

I do not know how they got here, and I don't really think it matters.  What matters is they are now among the millions of people who are at risk.

Should they have been detained and sent back?

I don't think so, but I believe they should have welcoming arms to accept them, like our ancestors did.  I don't believe that is the government's job.  I believe it is ours as believers in the promise of this great country.

We are the city on the hill, and there is responsibility that goes with being keepers of the faith and the light.  So, what are we going to do about it?

More to come...