Sometimes I sound political because I am. And I pray that my politics reflect what I say I believe about who God is and who we are as children of God.
A friend who has worked in border ministry along the Mexican border in Texas reminded me yesterday that little girls are often put on birth control for the trek across the border because it’s assumed that they will be sexually assaulted along the way. Clearly people do not cross the border into Texas because they simply want a better job. They are risking everything to find safety and freedom.
This story reminds me that the United States of America has become cruel. We have always been cruel in many ways just as we have been noble in many ways. Because I love our country, I want us to be better.
It’s true that our nation cannot accommodate every person who wishes to come to America. But we have a duty to welcome those in danger because they are human beings. This is the bottom line that trumps (sorry) all other things: the men, women, and children we see at the border are human beings who have a God-given dignity we are called to respect. This is a complicated issue, but it can be addressed in ways that do not strip us of our own humanity as Americans.
The President’s administration is doing this in our names. Especially if you voted for him, this is the time to speak up. I trust that those who did not vote for him are already speaking up.
Image is a file photo from June 18, 2014 when President Obama was in office. It was wrong then and it’s wrong now as “The Trump administration is looking to build tent cities at military posts around Texas” according to McClatchy.
A Church for Starving Artists 