“Carry
no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house
you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’”
Peace
to this house, Peace to this house…carrying no money, no bag no sandals…if I
had walked to let’s say Keene carrying nothing more than what was on my back
the first house that would allow me in you bet your bottom dollar I would wish
them peace and hope that peace is returned…
But
what is this peace that Christ speaks of?
In the world today there seems to be few moments of true peace. We are blessed here that if we seek peace…we
can find some out in the wilderness…Yet though we can find nature, and quiet
and solitude, our minds still run. Our
thoughts jump from ransom thought to random thought.
A
random though on my mind this week as we celebrate the birth of our nation is,
we have so much to be grateful for and yet this year I felt it surpassed by the
shame we should carry as a nation.
“At
any given time, for the past several weeks, more than 2,000 children have been
held in the custody of US Border Patrol without their parents. Legally, they’re
not supposed to be held by border agents for more than 72 hours before being
sent to the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for
finding their nearest relative in the US to house them while their immigration
cases are adjudicated.
In
practice, they’re being held for days, sometimes weeks, in facilities without
enough food or toothbrushes — going days without showering, overcrowded and under
cared for.”[1]
This
is a humane issue so much so that the united nations have a watchful eye on the
US. Experts at the UN human rights
council have stated; “We call on the government of the US to release these
children from immigration detention and to reunite them with their families
based on the best interests of the child, and the rights of the child to
liberty and family unity,”[2]
Let
me share this little news clip “Their living conditions were described as
squalid, and some had untreated medical conditions”…though that was recently
reported about these detention centers this quote is actually about 100 dogs at
a home in Bradford NH where the owners are now facing charges of animal cruelty
and the dogs are being rehomed to loving families. This makes me mad only
because we are treating our animals better than we treat Children…Children…
Lord
I wish peace in our house…
We
just celebrated the 4th of July a celebration of the declaration of
independence which declares “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.”
The
declaration of independence does not promise happiness only the pursuit of it
but it does state that life and liberty are unalienable rights…which means these
rights are not transferable, they only belong to humans, and they cannot be
taken away nor denied…
Lord
I pray peace upon this house
My
heart breaks when I hear of another death in the desert, another family broken
apart…
“When
the alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the
alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among
you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of
Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:33-34
Leviticus 19:33-34
In
a world becoming increasingly globalized, more people are leaving their
homelands to seek better lives and opportunities in new countries. Their
reasons for leaving are diverse and complex: economic necessity, war,
or persecution. The U.S. has long been a nation of immigrants and we
have consistently been conflicted about this. We gratefully welcome
immigrants and their contributions, and we exclude them, discriminate
against them and, at times, inflict grave harm upon them.
As
Christians, we are called to love our neighbors. The Bible is unambiguous in
calling us to welcome aliens and strangers in our land, and to love them as we
love ourselves. In these times, let us listen to the voice of the
still-speaking God. We will learn how to respond to these new sisters and
brothers residing among us.”[3]
This
statement is from the United Church of Christ immigration Justice page. Sometimes it feels we are so far away that we
can do nothing, our hands are tied, we know people suffering and we feel
helpless…
“United
Church of Christ churches, clergy and congregants are reaching out with hope
and in faith to migrants at our borders and immigrants across the country. Many
more are asking what they can do to respond to the government policies that
detain and separate families. The Southwest Conference UCC, acting with Justice
and Local Church Ministries, has issued two calls to action, one for a faithful
witness AT the border, in Arizona at United States border with Mexico
August 26-30, and another for a faithful witness FOR the border this
fall, in cities and towns across America.”[4]
Now
this was last year’s event but I want you to hear what happened…
“The
Southwest Conference is calling for a week of Faithful Witness at the Border, August 26 – 30, 2018
that will include:
A
humanitarian mission to the Mexican side of the border to visit and take
supplies to asylum-seekers in shelters and camped out at the ports of
entry due to a slowdown in applications being received.
Solidarity
actions at the detention facilities in Eloy and Florence where parents of kids
separated from their families are being held.
Training
and strategy sessions around ‘Being an Immigrant Welcoming Congregation’ and
‘Acting as an Advocate and Ally’ with members from the UCC Washington office
Conversations
with local ministry partners in Arizona - The Samaritans and other immigration
ministry groups.
A
visit to Operation Streamline immigration court where parents whose children
were taken away are appearing in the hope of finding their kids.”[5]
What
brave and strong action and witness. In
case you do not realize it, my heart is there and is always with their
ministries. I cannot run off and join
them physically, I wish there was something more I could do…
Wait
a minute didn’t it say a witness at the border and for the border…what does a
witness for the border look like…
Faithful
Witness FOR the Border
“We
also call congregations and conferences to host their own local Faithful
Witness for the Border events that might include:
Begin
the process for becoming an Immigrant-Welcoming Congregation
Organize
and attend town halls and candidate forums and ask questions about how
candidates would approach immigration policy. Set up in-district visits with
your members of Congress to share your UCC faith witness on immigration. Submit
letters to the editor and editorials in your local and regional papers.
Raise
money and collect supplies for humanitarian relief at the border—PLEASE
USE THIS VERY SPECIFIC LIST OF SUPPLIES.
(Supplies
Needed at the US/Mexico Border:
razors
toothbrushes
travel
size toothpaste
bath
soap
shampoo
towels
wash
cloths
feminine
products
coloring
books and crayons for kids)
Write
letters of welcome IN SPANISH that can be distributed to asylum seekers as
missives of love and welcome, an alternative message to the government.
Fundraise
to support living expenses of migrants seeking asylum and who are prohibited by
law from holding employment in the US while their case is processed.
Participate
in an immigrant detention visitation program in your area (for us
that would be in dover)
Partner
with local immigrant rights groups to join/organize a rally at an immigrant
detention facility for adults, ICE office, or border patrol station nearby.
(That would be Strafford house of corrections)
Host
a fellowship event with a local migrants/an immigrant group in your community
to get to know one another and listen to their stories.
I
wish peace on this house. Just as the seventy went out without anything and
sought refuge, food, and welcome so are these, the very least of the world.
I
am calling out to you as a loving congregation to sign up and work with me to
see which if any of these actions we can take to stand in Christian charity
with our brother and sister congregations around this nation who are taking
action to make this a Just world for all.!
[1] https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/25/18715725/children-border-detention-kids-cages-immigration
[2]
Ditto
[3] https://www.ucc.org/justice_immigration
[4]
Ditto
[5]
Ditto
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