Herod was angry and afraid. He had heard of this new king who had been born in Bethlehem, and he didn't like it one bit. This child, young as he was, was a threat to Herod's power and his fragile ego. And so he used the power at his disposal, and ordered that all boys under the age of two would be killed. Thankfully, an angel told Joseph in a dream that he and Mary must leave Bethlehem, the land of Joseph's ancestors, and flee to Egypt, where they could find safety.
But Mary and Joseph said, "No, that's irresponsible." So they stayed and indeed, their son Jesus was killed by a corrupt government.
No, wait, that's not right. They went. They left Joseph's homeland and fled to a nearby country, where they were confident the residents would have compassion and receive them into safety. It was a long and difficult journey, and though they feared, they also trusted. Finally, they arrived at the Egyptian border, and pled for refuge. The border agents approached Mary while she breastfed young Jesus, and ripped him from her breast, saying they were there illegally. No, no, not that. They told Joseph they were going to take the child for a bath, and Mary gratefully handed him over. They took Jesus and placed him in a cage with some other boys in an abandoned warehouse, before sending a terrified Mary and Joseph to jail. They should have known better than to come to the border and ask for refuge.
Jesus said, "I was a stranger and you did not welcome me... They answered, "Lord, when was it that we saw you a stranger and did not take care of you?" He answered them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me."
I have heard plenty of Christians claim Donald Trump and his administration are chosen and ordained by God. I have heard others lament that we are no longer "a Christian nation," and pray that we would be once again.
Well guess what?
Rejecting people coming to our borders seeking safety and asylum is decidedly not Christian. Christianity teaches to welcome the stranger, to serve the orphan, widow, and others who are weak and in need. This is a foundational belief of the Judeo-Christian faith, which often cites the fact that "you were once a stranger in a strange land." In that way, it's very American - we are a land of (mostly) immigrants, so we really ought to have compassion on immigrants. It's biblical and patriotic.
Tearing children away from their parents and putting them in cages is decidedly not Christian. The gospel is a message of healing and life. This sort of trauma and separation can cause permanent damage to young children's brains, the sort of damage that leads to future violence. Furthermore, if we are talking about caring for the weak and vulnerable and oppressed (which Jesus frequently does, as does the Old Testament), then who better fits the bill than children fleeing danger in their homeland?
And (putting aside for a moment that this policy of separating children from parents is new, not a previously standing law), following the letter of the law is also not Christian. Not saying to ignore the law, but rather, that following the spirit of the law is more faithful than following the letter of the law. Remember all those tiffs Jesus got in with the Pharisees? About things like, not healing on the sabbath? Jesus always placed love and compassion for those in need over following the letter of the law, and the reason is this: the purpose of the law is to guide us in our efforts to love and care for our neighbor. Love of neighbor is the fulfillment of the law. If a law does not encourage us to love God or our neighbor, then it is not of God.
And there is nothing, nothing loving about tearing children away from their parents at the border. Full stop.
8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)
No comments:
Post a Comment