Immigration Reform

Who can still say they support what’s happening with the treatment of immigrant people on our southern border?

This cannot be a party issue.

How we treat people seeking refuge is a human rights issue .

We cannot be so polarized between us and them that we lose our humanity.

Numerous articles are reporting what is happening and I, educated and literate, with access to unlimited news sources, can scarcely believe it.

Children stolen by the US government and locked up in cages. A breastfeeding baby taken from her mother’s arms. People told their babies are just going to get a bath–and then not returned.

Refugee children in a Texas detention center must file past a picture of our sitting president with the quote in English and Spanish for their reading pleasure, “Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war.”

The Department of Children and Families would never allow this treatment in a private home. But it’s just immigrants, so apparently it doesn’t matter?!?!

Snatching babies from their mothers is evil.

Pure evil.

How can good people, who I know, say they support tearing apart families? Whatever happened to “family values”?

I am sick of the legalism standpoint “it’s the law”, and the argument “they’re just pretending to be parents.” That’s your response?! They might not really be the parents?! There are ways to quickly and efficiently ensure the children are actually with their parents. Interviews and DNA samples to start if that’s really the concern.

The justice department is using babies as pawns to deter refugees. I don’t care who started it or which party did what. I care about the thousands of children missing their parents and distraught parents terrified for their children.

Desperate people don’t risk everything they have and take their children in treacherous journeys for a “better life.” They do it to SAVE their lives.

They fear for their lives and the dangerous unknown is better than known starvation and murder from where they come.

Where is your compassion? Your Christlike heart for the widows, the orphans, the aliens, the poor, the needy?

What would Jesus do?!?! Not sit on a pile of money behind a gun, stealing children, that’s for sure.

“I pay enough in taxes. I don’t want to pay for those people.” Shame on you. Live in luxury. Enjoy your big screen tv and comfortably large lonely home on earth. Because the Kingdom of God is bigger than and better than this. You can be part of the kingdom here and now!! Do you think your luxurious empty life is contributing to making someone else’s life better? What is truly pleasing to God?

These are humans. These are babies. Traumatized children fleeing danger with loving parents exchanged for more trauma and separation from their parents. Jesus be with them as their parents cannot.

And Americans stand sanctimoniously protecting our wealth, our land, our luxuries–while our souls sicken and die. “Well, they’re breaking the law.”

God help us.

What do we do?!

Here’s a way to contribute money and time for justice work being done through the non profit National Justice for Our Neighbors, a United Methodist immigration ministry. They provide high quality immigration legal services to separated families.

Jubilee

Jubilee is an important concept to me. It’s a state of being, a consistent joy that is ever present personally. Wikipedia defines it as: “Jubilee is a historical term for a time of celebration or rejoicing. It is defined in Leviticus 25:9 as “Yoval” in Hebrew, as the sabbatical year after seven cycles of seven years.”  ‘

 But it’s so much more. The Bible defines jubilee in the Old Testament book of Leviticus (25) as a time when, every 49 years, all debts are forgiven; each person is returned to his/her original land and family clan and slaves are emancipated; it’s a year when the land is intended to rest and only food that is taken directly from the fields should be eaten. So all property is ultimately redeemable, in the year of Jubilee.

 It’s a time of refreshment, of reminiscing, of enjoying what God has provided without wheeling and dealing and haggling.

It’s such a great concept. To me, it’s about redemption. My soul needs that jubilee so much! God is the ultimate redeemer, and I know that some day, in the year of my jubilee, hopefully after a long, love-filled, full life, I will be finally HOME. I think Christians need more joy. Not happiness–which is based upon external circumstances. Joy comes from knowing that we have a Savior who loves us and we have a permanent home waiting for us. We are gifted with little bits of grace every day and our God is the most joyous being in the universe. Shouldn’t we be sharing this with everyone we meet?