Everyone in our congregation should be concerned right now. Everyone. The same probably goes for your congregation.
I don’t really care what your thoughts are on immigration policy, at least not today. Today is a day to think as a Christian, not a Republican or a Democrat.
The Hispanic community in Abilene is upset. Nervous. Both those who are here legally and those who aren’t. They are uncertain about what the coming days bring for them and their loved ones. They know they are in for a time of distrust and suspicion, no matter their status. They are hurting right now.
This is true for Hispanic members of the church. They are scared. They are nervous. They are hurting.
We should be too.
But I agree with Trump’s immigration policy! (you say)
OK. That’s not the point of this post. This post is about weeping with those who weep. This is about compassion.
We can feel compassion even when we feel that someone is suffering because of something they’ve done wrong or that their family has done wrong. We can hurt for the alcoholic, whether or not we think they are to blame for their condition. We can hurt for families going through divorce, no matter what we see as the cause of their situation.
We don’t have to be pro-enforcement or anti-enforcement to hurt with those who hurt and weep with those who weep.
On Sunday, we had a baby blessing at our church. The father is Hispanic, the mother Anglo. Mom admitted that she would have preferred to do the blessing in the chapel where our bilingual group meets, but agreed to do it in the main auditorium because she had been told it would be encouraging to the main congregation. Everyone wanted to see that our congregation has young families that are growing.
When we have baptisms, we often do them during worship time, even though that’s very disruptive for the bilingual group. Why do we do that? So the whole congregation can rejoice together upon seeing a new birth. (Over the last few years, a disproportionate number of the baptisms at church have come from the bilingual group)
We want to rejoice with our Hispanic brothers. We want their joys and their triumphs to be the joys and triumphs of the whole congregation.
Therefore the whole congregation needs to be hurting today. We need to weep with those who weep. We need to feel the pain of the children who don’t understand legal and illegal; all they know is that Mexicans are being rounded up and sent away… and their parents are Mexicans. Kids don’t understand the difference. Their peers will still taunt them and bully them about being taken away by immigration. You may think that their parents are at fault, but you can still hurt for the children.
We can’t have it both ways. We can’t claim the joy and not claim the hurt. We can’t share the laughter if we aren’t willing to share the tears.
I don’t really care right now what you think about immigration policy. I do very much care what you think about Hispanics today, both those inside the church and out. How we react to them today, how we treat them during these hard times, how we talk about what’s going on… all of that will affect the church’s outreach for decades to come. And will affect our brothers and sisters today.
Weep with those who weep. Hurt with those who hurt.
Talk to school teachers. Hear their stories about the confusion kids are feeling right now. Think about the Hispanics you know who are working in restaurants, doing construction, laboring on farms. Whether or not they are here legally, they are going to face increased scrutiny, increased suspicion, increased discrimination. Feel for them. Embrace their pain as your own.
All of UCC Abilene needs to be upset and hurting today. All of us need to be nervous about what’s coming in the days ahead. Today, I don’t care about your politics; I care about your compassion.
If we are members of the University Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas, we should be hurting today. (Those of you in other churches should consider your church’s situation)
Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.
Please don’t read the following inquiry as a rebuttal or condescending question. I would like to know if you and your church wept with those whose lives were irreparably damaged—not by unfounded fears or because emotions were stoked by fake news—but because their loved ones were raped, murdered or killed by drunk drivers who were illegally in this country? Perhaps you have. If so, that would be good to know.
My compassion is not turned off because someone is Hispanic. Nor is it raised because they are Hispanic. But my compassion is also extended to those who while minding their own business have their lives forever changed. I teach my kids that behavior has consequences; bad behavior has negative consequences.
Enforcing existing law ought to be supported by all—especially Christians. Can we stop and read Romans 13? Legal law abiding citizens—regardless of their country of origin—have nothing to fear but fear itself. Illegal immigrants can be treated with compassion and still be escorted out of our country.
Hi Ron,
My guess is that if anyone is killed by a drunk driver, it’s not going to matter a whole lot to the family if the driver was here legally or not. That said, if we knew of such a case, we would certainly want to weep with them. We have had one woman killed because of texting, another in a serious accident because of driver inattention. The drivers at fault were U.S. citizens. Do you seriously think that matters?
If you’d like to discuss Romans 13, there are plenty of posts on this blog about it. As the saying goes, “I don’t think that passage means what you think it means.”
Tim,
Thank you and I appreciate the time, thought and love you have exhibited. I’m hurting today!
There was much for Jews and many others to fear from the authorities of the Third Reich, much for Bosniaks and Croats to fear from Slobodan Milosevic, and on, and on. I don’t think it means what it might appear to mean, either.
For sure u know not Christ. If u do, then may He deal with accordingly…
Thank you Tim!
I’m deeply touched by this. Thank you, Tim.
I remembering hearing from the Barna people that the reason the numbers aren’t worse for the decline of Christianity in the United States is because of undocumented immigrants from the south. Fleeing crime and poverty, they came. And they brought their vibrant faith (usually a form of Pentecostalism or a more evangelical Catholicism). They renewed many existing churches. (Are there some criminals? Obviously. Just like there are among those bred-n-born here.)
That is no answer to what should be done. I’m assuming many are trying to find a way to combine compassion and security.
But it does mean that your article is right. We are talking about many brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s a time for prayer. And a time for believers to help undocumented immigrants move toward legal citizenship as soon as possible.
I do have trouble with the politics. I do care. Christ calls us to be inclusive. Everyone is invited.
And Romans 13 is no excuse to behave badly. We should NOT accept laws that are inhumane, that undermine the dignity of any human. Remember that slavery was once legal. Anti miscegenation laws were once at play in America. Look at what was legal during the reign of the Third Reich. I am glad that Christians such as Bonhoeffer were not hampered by such a misunderstanding of Romans 13.
I applaud this essay. But I hurt for those Christians who can support these policies. Where is our Jeremiah, our Elijah? Who will call Christians back to Christ?
These are confusing times, but the times are not really all that new. There have always been laws, rules, regulations to obey, and people have always been both helped hurt by them. Some are innocent victims and some have brought it on themselves. The hurt is real and painful for both. Times are confusing, for sure. But this truth you’ve brought, Tim, that compassion acting through is the call of to all Christians, brings us back to center and gives us hope in the source of all that is good. Thank you.
Thank you. Blessings on your words and on the heart that crafted them.
Tim,
Thank you for your compassionate word. How can we ignore the Old Testament’s command to love the stranger in our midst?
The state has one set of duties (Romans 13). That duty is not the same as a citizen of the Kingdom. The state can certainly violate its obligations. The citizen of the Kingdom should be compassionate toward all–espeacially those they are in a position to personally help. Just as the state can misuse its God given duty, Christians can take actions or support policies that are not in fact compassionate. Since many of us are both citizens of the state and the Kingdom, we sometimes confuse the duties of each.
Those directly being hurt are paying for the misdeeds in their social group. The Texans down on the border have had their own hurts due to illegals. I don’t think it’s a good idea to stir up sympathy during these dangerous times. You might cause somebody to let down their guard and they could be hurt by a criminal. The job of the church is to preach the gospel and baptize those who confess Jesus and repent of sins. Do that and work among your disciples. The immigration thing has become a very out of control problem and it threatens the well being of lawful citizens. This is just another example of bad players impacting innocent people. Find the people who want to escape darkness and show them the Light. There is not an easy answer. No matter what the situation, we must trust in the Lord. Going through this kind of trial will not be easy.
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yeah, but what about and what if and ………………………..
Thank you, Tim. As someone who has worked with undocumented folks in various contexts, I very much agree with you. There is a lot more to say, but on a basic level one of the things Christians should do, before anything else, is form friendships and share life with immigrants near them. The practice of love inevitably transforms perceptions.
Is this a serious comment?
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to stir up sympathy during these dangerous times.”
Huh?
Tim, thank you for your words of compassion. You are right, and all Christians need to hear this reminder of the heart of the gospel.
I am an elder in the Church of Christ and am the elder over our Hispanic ministry. I love each and every soul we can reach, however I suggest that this article is misguided because it feeds into a story of fear that the left and the media want to promote for their own benefit. This story that they promote is untrue. If there were any more to fear today than there was six months ago or even 24 years ago, then I would agree with the premise of this article.
But we should not lend credence to a story from those who are promoting it – not because they care about the souls of our Hispanic brethren but because they want to benefit from it politically themselves. We do a disservice to our brethren by suggesting that they have more to fear today than six months ago. We also promote a lie by doing so.
Tom, your words may be true wherever you live. They are not true in Abilene, Texas. This is not about politics. Maybe the fears are driven by media and liberal agendas. That doesn’t reduce the hurt. That doesn’t reduce the impact. That doesn’t change our responsibility.
The hurt can only be mitigated with truth. To continue to further the lie that all undocumented Hispanics are going to be rounded up and deported does disservice and brings no comfort as intended.
The truth that there is no added fear at this time is what should bring comfort and peace to a people who do need and deserve it.
Again, Tom, that may fit your situation. It doesn’t fit ours. The last thing we need is bringing politics into this. Which you have.
Amen. We are told to obey the laws of our land, pray for our leaders and pray for God to give them wisdom as they lead our nation. As a Christian, we must teach all to follow the law. I’m sorry that those who entered the country illegally are frightened, but they have committed a crime. So the question is, do we encourage them to continue to avoid the law or return to their home country and begin the process of applying for legal admittance?
Hi Joy,
Actually, immigration violations aren’t considered a crime. And there is no process of applying for legal admittance, not for the vast majority. The United States depends heavily on foreign workers for our labor force, but our broken immigration system provides no legal way for them to be admitted.
There’s far more grey than black and white. Until leaders decide to address comprehensive immigration reform, millions will be caught in the middle.
But as Christians, our job is to minister to those who are here. It’s far easier to hide behind the unjust laws of a broken system than to get involved in the lives of those caught in its gears. Boaz could have told Ruth that Moabites had no place in Israel, which is what the law said. (Deut. 23:3) Had he treated her as a Moabitess instead of an individual, he wouldn’t have come to form part of the ancestry of Jesus.
Tim Archer,
I can’t decide if I am more impressed with your post or with your replies to your critics. The Pharisees didn’t like for Jesus to point out their inattention to the weightier matters either. Thank you for calling us to hold Kingdom values over national politics.
P.s. Perhaps all of us Anglo descendants need to be reminded that our ancestors came here without permission and killed the legal residents to take this land for themselves.
The article is a good one. Tim, my old college friend, did a good job. I live in Abilene and so I know what he said is true. These comments have been entertaining to read. It is clear who supports who from the reading. We are living in very dangerous times and we have a tyrant in the White House. A moral person, whether one of faith or not, is not bound by immoral laws set down by immoral men. It is our duty to disobey rules and laws that we view as immoral. There will be consequences for being on the right side of history and there will be consequences for being on the wrong side of history. Choose well my friends.
There’s no process for applying for legal admittance? Truly?
Hi Matt. I’d recommend this article: http://g92.org/find-answers/process/
A quote:
Enlightening read. There is a process, it’s very difficult to impossible for some.
Your contention that immigration violations aren’t a crime is interesting to me. Can you expound on that? There are established laws that govern authorized entry and provide punishment for violations. Are you saying that violators of those laws aren’t guilty of criminal acts?
I’m admittedly not a lawyer, but here’s the legal definition I have found for crime:
Using legal definitions, illegal presence in the United States is not a crime. Illegal entry is a misdemeanor and therefore considered a crime. I should clarify my original response in that way.
Is our emotional intelligence showing? What did Jesus do about slavery and the status of women? Are Christians to obey the law as a requirement by Jesus? When did illegal cease to be unlawful? Aren’t they self exclusive like good and evil? When did having the peace of God that passes understanding keep Christians from being nervous or concerned about numerous hurts and disasters? When did it keep Christians from being scared for friends, relatives,l neighbors who are unsaved? Who are Hispanics scared of, one of God’s institutions? Why are they scared of such? So is the alcoholic, rapist, etc.
Is it proper for the poor,l sick, disabled, etc. to demand part of m income? Should Americans, because they are rich compared to most in the world, move to China, India, Iran, etc. and let the Hispanics, Arabs, communists and the like have our country. What did Jesus do to immediately eradicate slavery or improve the status of women? Compassion, YES! Ignore other Christian values and responsibilities, no.