Last Thursday, we celebrated our independence as "one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.” This Sunday we hear one of the most famous of Jesus’ parables, one he tells in response to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” It’s hard not to conflate these at a time when our global reputation as a good neighbor is in question. At the end of his story, Jesus asks his listeners, “'Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”
We live in a world in which whole countries are falling into the hands of robbers and murderous gangs, including many in Central and South America. We share a history in which too often we have been the robbers. We also share a legacy of mercy and help for those who are injured. That legacy is nowhere visible in the treatment of children and families on our southern border, a humanitarian crisis we might better comprehend were we witnessing it in a country known for violence against the innocent. That this is happening in our beloved United States of America, perpetrated on our behalf by our government, enacting policies that have children living caged, separated from their parents, bereft of human contact, inadequately fed and treated, is moral, not a political issue.*
As Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, says, “We are children of the one God who is the Creator of us all. It is our sisters, our brothers, our siblings who are seeking protection and asylum, fleeing violence and danger to children, searching for a better life for themselves and their children. The crisis at the border is not simply a challenge of partisan politics but a test of our personal and public morality and human decency.” (This is not the only crisis of need in our world, but it is one of the most immediate in time and location. For ways to respond, see the links below.)
“Go and do likewise,” Jesus told his followers. How might we as a nation, and as people, more fully live like this outsider who put himself at risk to reclaim, restore and renew the one fallen by the wayside? After all, that is what God has done for us. How are we being called to “go and do likewise?”
At the heart of it lies the truth that until all people in every land are free and equal in opportunity, security, and peace, none of us is free. Freedom is God's desire for us - and for all creation. We can be like the priest and Levite, walking by on the other side, ignoring the plight of those in great need, or we can be like the reviled Samaritan man, putting aside our timetables, shopping lists, convenience, grievances, and safety, and stop to offer what we can, trusting God to provide the rest. Which will it be today?
*I generally avoid commenting on current events in Water Daily, which has a focus on spiritual nurture. But we can’t neatly categorize everything. I feel this is a matter of soul health, and one that requires I speak up. If you disagree, feel free to argue with me by email. I hope you will remain in relationship.
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/posts/publicaffairs/episcopal-church-response-crisis-border
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/posts/publicaffairs/episcopal-church-response-crisis-border
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