Jesus Still Weeps as He Looks at our Southern Border

Monument at Oklahoma City National Memorial / Photo by Tabitha Kaylee Hawk / flickr

In this season of Lent we are slowly making our way toward Calvary. We are past the midpoint of the journey. Palm Sunday with its palms and alleluias lies just ahead. On the cusp of the Holy Week passages in Matthew we are given our Lord’s last parable. It might even be considered Jesus’ last will and testament. As his days were running out—what would he say to his friends? Why did Matthew place this parable just before the way of the cross begins?  And what is the church to say about this story as we put it down before our time?

Read this account for yourself. Matthew 25. 31-46. Verses 37f: “Lord, when was it we saw you hungry and gave you food, for thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and you gave med clothing, I was sick and you, I was sick or in prison and visited you? And the King will answer them: “Truly I say to you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

When the history of our time is written up and the mandate of these words is placed down before the church and Christians—people will wonder why did we ignore these words of Jesus. On our southern border we do have a crisis. Thousands of poor, scared and hopeful people are finding that we really ignore this basic command of Jesus. Of course we cannot take in all that come. Of course we must be responsible in checking those that come. Of course we must continue to work on keeplng our borders safe. But we do not put children or adults in cages. We do not rip children from their parents’ arms. We do not treat these desperate people as subhuman. These folk are not to be treated as political pawns. We must raise our voices to this President who seems not to care of these people. We need to address the problems in  the countries they come from and find ways to make their homelands safer. 

This Lenten time how can we ignore this last parable that Jesus gave? Cruelty has nothing to do with being an American. Read Sindy Flores’s moving article published in The New York Times and weep for us all.

Dr. Ernie Campbell gave me this poem years ago. I don't know anything more appropriate for our time:

"What, finally, shall we say

In the last moment

When we will one confronted 

By the Unimaginable,

The One

Who could not be measured 

or contained

in space or time

Who was Love  

Unimited?

What shall we answer

When there question is asked

About our undeeds

Committed

in his name--

In the name of him

For whose sake we promised

To have courage

To abandon everything?

Shall we say 

That we didn't know--

That we couldn't hear the clatter 

Of hearts breaking--

Millions of them--

In lonely rooms, in alleys

  and in prisons

And in bars?

Shall we explain

That we thought it mattered

That buildings were constructed 

And maintained 

In his honor--

That we were occupied

With the arrangements

Of hymns and prayers

And the proper, responsible way

Of doing things?

Shall we tell him

That we had to take care 

Of the orderly definition 

  of dogmas

So that there was no time

To listen to the

  sobbing

Of the little ones

Huddled in corners

Or the silent despair

Of those already beyond

  sobbing?

Or, shall we say this, too:

That we were afraid--

That we were keeping busy

  with all this

To avoid confrontation

With the reality of his

  meaning

Which would lead us to

  repentance--

That it was fear that 

  kept us

Hiding in church pews

And in important boards

  and committees 

When he went by?"

  --Ursula Solek

--Roger Lovette / rogerlovette/blogspot.com