As a new thought minister, it is difficult to know what to add to what Stephen Colbert says above--where to begin with the daily heartbreaking news at the border. Even evangelical ministers, who have largely been supportive of and even enthusiastic about the immigration policies of the President, are decrying the recent decision to separate children from their parents at the border. Yesterday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions fell back on Romans 13 to insist on support for this policy, “I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes.”
The Washington Post Daily 202 (my favorite daily news source Link to subscribe to Daily 202) says that previous peak usage of this Bible passage was by leaders in the American south in the mid 1800s to justify slavery. Mr. Sessions fails to mention the previous passage, Romans 12 “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. ... Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.”
In the Centers for Spiritual Living, we do not believe it is possible to be separate from God. We don't believe in a separate force in the world that is the Devil or a separate force of evil. But we are clear that people ourselves create harm and evil, by separating ourselves from each other--which is a form of separation from God. When we are advised to "love our neighbor as ourself" that means they are ourself--it is not pretend. All evil is a form of forgetting this basic truth: my neighbor is myself. There is no other--we are all one.
So let us not mince words: separating children from their parents is evil. Lying to mothers and children that the kids are being taken for their baths and moving them to a warehouse on their own is a scene out of Nazi Germany. Holding 1500 immigrant children at the border in a former Walmart without legal representation, without contact with their parents is wrong, heartbreaking, unjustifiable.
Just as this evil at the border is a result of forgetting, our current political crisis is a result of forgetting. We must not forget who we are. We must not forget that whether we voting for them or not, we elected our representatives. They are us too. That means that some part of our consciousness has accepted that it is okay to separate mothers from children. We need to take responsibility for having participated in getting the country to the point where it could be this divided and this forgetful.
This is one of those moments where it is impossible to imagine that this can happen and we can return to our daily routines and our daily lives. At a minimum, how about in honor of Father's Day, we take a moment to call our member of Congress at (202) 224-3121 (you enter your zip code and they tell you your member's name and connect you with them) and say "I urge my representative to visit the border and shut down the immoral detention of these families and separation of these children from their mothers." (I just did)
The Washington Post Daily 202 (my favorite daily news source Link to subscribe to Daily 202) says that previous peak usage of this Bible passage was by leaders in the American south in the mid 1800s to justify slavery. Mr. Sessions fails to mention the previous passage, Romans 12 “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. ... Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.”
In the Centers for Spiritual Living, we do not believe it is possible to be separate from God. We don't believe in a separate force in the world that is the Devil or a separate force of evil. But we are clear that people ourselves create harm and evil, by separating ourselves from each other--which is a form of separation from God. When we are advised to "love our neighbor as ourself" that means they are ourself--it is not pretend. All evil is a form of forgetting this basic truth: my neighbor is myself. There is no other--we are all one.
So let us not mince words: separating children from their parents is evil. Lying to mothers and children that the kids are being taken for their baths and moving them to a warehouse on their own is a scene out of Nazi Germany. Holding 1500 immigrant children at the border in a former Walmart without legal representation, without contact with their parents is wrong, heartbreaking, unjustifiable.
Just as this evil at the border is a result of forgetting, our current political crisis is a result of forgetting. We must not forget who we are. We must not forget that whether we voting for them or not, we elected our representatives. They are us too. That means that some part of our consciousness has accepted that it is okay to separate mothers from children. We need to take responsibility for having participated in getting the country to the point where it could be this divided and this forgetful.
This is one of those moments where it is impossible to imagine that this can happen and we can return to our daily routines and our daily lives. At a minimum, how about in honor of Father's Day, we take a moment to call our member of Congress at (202) 224-3121 (you enter your zip code and they tell you your member's name and connect you with them) and say "I urge my representative to visit the border and shut down the immoral detention of these families and separation of these children from their mothers." (I just did)
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