“What would you do?”

For the past few months, I wake up in the middle of the night or way too early in the morning with small children on my mind and in my heart. Small children sleeping on the floor, covered in a crunchy foil blanket, separated from their families in a country where they don’t speak the language, frightened out of their wits. I think about these traumatized small children- and their “caregivers” who have been instructed to not comfort or touch them. And my soul rages and my heart breaks and I am helpless and angry. That is where I will begin.

Today is the 4th of July and my feelings about it are...complicated. While there are many great things about this country, I am not particularly proud to be a United States Citizen at the moment. I say “United States Citizen” very specifically, because Mexico and Canada are a part of North America and might not appreciate us commandeering the term “American.” I am disappointed at the continuing trajectory of injustice, racism, greed and corruption that run rampant in our nation. While I understand that the rest of the world is also a hot mess, I sincerely doubt this is what the founding fathers had in mind, or that it is okay for this trajectory to continue. We were all immigrants once, unless we are of Native American descent. How conveniently we all forget that. I could wax poetic for miles and miles about the sins of our nation, but that would take years. This morning, I woke with a burning desire to write about what is happening to small children who are incarcerated in our country. Our country- the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our country- the place of liberty and justice for all. Or not.

I know squat about immigration policy. I am just going to say that up front. I am in the process of trying to educate myself, reading as much as I can- from as many reliable sources as I can. I am trying to read all the points of view, seeing if I can discern truth from spin about these issues. What I have learned thus far is that this system is SCREWED UP. So messed up. It has been for a very long time, but it seems at the forefront today because of the dealings of the current administration, social media and our access to all the information we have today- which is a mixed blessing- because it’s a whole other level of crazy trying to find the truth.

Yesterday, a friend of mine on Facebook noted that all the Christians in her news feed are very quiet on this issue of children being removed from their parents as a deterrent. She called it out for the evil that it is. In her post, I heard the unspoken question- where are all the Christians? Why aren’t we charging the gates of these injustices, tearing down the walls to care for these families? Why aren’t we fighting the evil?

An excellent question. I know that many of us are, that we care- that we are outraged and angry- but where are the rest of us? Why are we so quiet? I know that for myself, I have backed off of posting political things, not because I don’t care- I care deeply- but there is fatigue. I don’t want to argue anymore. We, as a society, as a church, have lost our ability to discuss and listen and I am...tired.  None of us seem to want to open our hearts and minds to change. It wears me out. Frankly, I have not posted because I don’t want to deal with the pushback that I know will inevitably come from my friends who have more conservative leanings. I just didn’t want to deal. Shame on me.

This is important stuff. I was convicted by what she said. Thanks for the kick in the pants, Jordan.

A week ago, a friend from my church emailed me and told me that she knew that I would understand her rage and grief and anger about this issue and what could we do? Honestly, she never emails me- we chat at church, so I was very intrigued that she did. As I emailed her about my own frustration, the small steps I have taken and how I am praying about what to do, I felt overwhelmed and in over my head. I am with you, Madeleine. I don’t want to be complacent either. I want to see things change.

I posted an article yesterday about immigration and Christianity, and sure enough, one of my favorite people on the planet- who is way more conservative than I- came back to me with “What would you do?”

Again, a great question. One I wish I had a great answer to, but I don’t.  These 3 moments have prompted me to write this morning- to try and gather my thoughts and figure out- what the heck am I doing? All I can say is that I am trying. I am not sticking my head in the sand.

If I could, I would quit my job and go where these centers are, get in there and love on and hug as many of these children that I could get my hands on, let them know that they are not alone, people DO care and are fighting for them. We want them to be with their parents. I am not sure how practical that solution is, but that is what is deep in my heart. Barring that, I would find ways to get supplies to the centers so they have what they need, but apparently, these centers are turning away donations...which blows my mind.

So what am I actually doing now? I am taking some baby steps. I am educating myself, praying and taking some action steps.

How do I educate myself? Like I said before, I am reading, reading, reading.  Mostly articles from a variety of sources. I try and crosscheck facts as much as I can as well as  read from perspectives that I don’t necessarily agree with. I follow the bunny trails, ask God for wisdom and discernment and muddle through as best I can.  

As a Christian- I read the BIBLE and see what God has to say about it all.  Turns out, He has quite a bit to say, starting in the Old Testament- here are just a few scriptures:

You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:19

The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you: you shall love the aliens as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.  Leviticus 19:34

Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow…. Leviticus 27:19

The Lord watches over strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.  Psalm 146:9

Thus says the Lord of hosts:  Render true judgements, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien or the poor, and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.  Zechariah 7:9-10

In the New Testament- Jesus has stuff to say as well:

I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.  Matthew 25:35

There are many more scriptures, but my posts run too long already- feel free to look them up yourself.

Jesus was an immigrant. Joseph fled to Egypt with his family to protect his infant son from the government. True story. Jesus gets it- He cares about these folks. They are image-bearers of the most High God. It would behoove us, as Christians, to remember that because we will be held accountable. We are instructed to LOVE our neighbor as ourselves, this whole situation is not LOVE. Not even close.  

For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

A stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’

He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’

And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Matthew 25:42-46

Yikes. Jesus also has a few choice things to say about the treatment of littles:

And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 18:5-6

Also Luke 17:2 and Mark 9:42

Jesus is not kidding around. This is the Jesus who started the stampede in the Temple because it had turned into a business. This is not warm and fuzzy Jesus. This is the kind of millstone He is talking about:

It matters what happens to these little ones. National policy be damned, as Christians we should care what happens to these families. Because we love them, we love our brothers and sisters. Because GOD SAID SO. We should be fighting, battling and serving because that is what it’s all about. Loving our neighbors as ourselves, loving our “enemies.” Our first loyalty is to Jesus Christ, and we should be about doing what HE says above what our country says. He says these little image-bearers and their families matter. They are worthy and beloved by Him- and that is enough.

I know the term “thoughts and prayers” gets bandied about to the point that it loses power. I truly believe in prayer first- the kind of prayer that happens in the middle of the night to break down strongholds and barriers. I have seen too much answered prayer to not believe. Even for the big and overwhelming things. These are some of the things that I am praying:

-That God would make a way where there seems to be none because nothing is impossible with Him.

-That God would soften the hearts of the policy makers and remind them that these are PEOPLE and thus deserve to be treated with care and respect.

-That the children would feel the tangible presence of God, know that they are NOT alone, they would have miraculous revelation that they are not abandoned and that people are fighting for them. I pray that they would heal from their emotional and physical trauma and I trust that God will not waste the pain and suffering that is happening to them.

-That the children would have their physical and emotional needs met and God’s perfect love would cast out fear.

-That the children would be reunited with their parents, and families would be put into a safe situation- that is not an internment camp.

-That the people who are working with the children would be brave, and buck the system if need be, to care for these kids, to touch them, to hug them, to let them know they are loved and matter. That these children would also be protected from predators who might sneak into the system.

-That God would keep the predators out of the system.

-That the legal/processing system would not be so ridiculous. Like I said, I don’t know much about policy- but I think it’s all “too much” and even the well-meaning folks are burned out. I am praying that the entire system would come into God’s compassionate order.

-That physical resources would get to these children- beds, toothbrushes, soap, real blankets, clothing, diapers, toys, books in their own language, food- that the corruption and greed that keeps this from happening would end.

-I am praying for my brothers and sisters in Christ to WAKE UP.  I am praying against the principality of this weird evangelical nationalism that has replaced the gospel and usurped the love that we should be walking in. I am praying that we rally, gather, pray and get boots on the ground to take care of these people. That we would not walk in fear that these folks would take away from us, but trust in God to let His bountiful provision and love flow through us. That we would be a people that call people in instead of shutting people out. That the scripture “they will know we are christians by our love” would be the truth vs. that they know people are “christians” by their hate, judgement and intolerance. The Church can rise up to care and act where the government can’t and my prayer is that She does.

-I am praying for a breakdown of systemic, institutional and individual racism in our country. I am praying for conviction, humility, repentance and reconciliation.

These are some of the things that I am praying during my “night watches,” my day watches and my commute time.

Actions steps. This one is tough. I am far away from the “action.”  What to do?

Right now, I give financially. I sign petitions and write letters to my government. I vote. And now, I am going to make some noise and challenge all of us (including myself) to do more.

This is a great article with some places to start:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/migrant-children-are-suffering-christians-need-help/592642/

There is an Amazon wish list for a Catholic charity on the border in one of the links in this article to provide undies and socks and snacks and necessary things for those folks released from detention centers.

For the past year and a half, I have been giving to this organization which provides legal services for the children and their families:

https://togetherrising.org/

And I continue to investigate and pursue and take the small steps that I can. Perhaps these will lead to bigger steps. I believe that if we all do what we can, then together- we can take on this behemoth of an issue and resolve it to the glory of God- with all of His love and grace flowing like a river. Because God’s image-bearers matter.  That is what I would do.

What would you do?