They Are Our Children Too

God enacts justice for orphans and widows, and he loves immigrants, giving them food and clothing.  That means you must also love immigrants because you were immigrants in Egypt.  Revere the LORD your God, serve him, cling to him, swear by his name alone! – Deuteronomy 10:18-20 (CEB)

This picture has captured the world’s attention. You can read more here about how they hadn’t been able to present themselves for asylum at the border and so decided to cross the border. Note that many refugees who cross the border immediately present themselves for asylum.

This picture was preceded by news accounts of inhumane conditions at an El Paso facility housing children as well as the statement by a justice department lawyer in court that the federal government is not required to provide soaps, toothbrushes, or beds for children detained by border patrol. I can’t believe the International Red Cross has not been on site at these detainment centers as they commonly visit refugee camps and shelters to assess conditions.

While every Christian may not agree on our immigration laws, no Christian can condone or be silent in the face of the atrocities that we are afflicting on these children. Even if we don’t speak the same language or have the same color skin, these are our children, too. There is no gray area in this. It is wrong and it is evil. And we need to name it as such.

As Christians, we are called to love. Love is not separating children from their parents.  Love is not caging children like animals.  Love is not withholding nurture to those in desperate need of it.  Love is not choosing to look away from a humanitarian crisis by creating a greater one.

We are doing wrong to our neighbor.

In doing so, we are not fulfilling the law.

And we are damning ourselves.

And despite the phone calls I make to my elected officials and the monetary donations I make to relief and advocacy agencies at the border, I am still part of these horrendous crimes against the vulnerable, against my neighbor because they are happening on my watch.  We are all being led into evil through this administration’s actions at our borders.  I wrote this prayer last year when the separation of children from their parents began. How is our country still doing this? How are we letting it happen?

Let us confess our sins.

Lord,
who loves those whom the world would hate,
forgive our lack of love.

When we claim your name to justify the evil we want to do,
convict our souls.
Make our gut rot within us.

When we choose to tear others down, ignoring their humanity,
make our eyes see the terror of what we are doing.
Do not allow us to turn away.

When we lift ourselves up at the expense of stealing life and hope from others,
cause us to stumble in our theft.
Break us of our pride.

And when we cry out “Lord, Lord!” but do not reach out to those whose voices are silences,
ignore our pleas.
Teach us what it means to be abandoned.

In the end Lord,
you have given us only one command;
only one thing by which we are to be known.

You have given us love.

Forgive us when we set love of others aside for love of ourselves.
Forgive us our boastings of our own strength.
Forgive us the lies we tell when we claim we have no choice.
Forgive us not because we are worthy of forgiveness but because your forgiveness leads us love.

Lord,
who loves those whom the world would hate,
forgive our lack of love.

Amen.

Let us not pray for forgiveness without also taking action.  You can find your representatives here to speak out against this evil.  And thanks to a friend for sending me this link on how to support advocacy groups.  Let us join God in enacting justice.