By now I’m sure many of you have seen that our cowards in congress have allowed fear to win the day. Instead of helping those most vulnerable, we have chosen to turn them away. Per usual, it was mostly the Republicans leading the charge, and just enough Democrats to cheer them on. Well, I for one am sick of this. I took time yesterday to call my Senator that I thought most likely to be swayed, and asked her not to follow the Republicans. Then, I emailed my Governor, thanked him for accepting refugees, and pleaded that he not follow half of the other Governors.
So why did I take that time yesterday? I could list the pragmatic reasons about how turning away refugees doesn’t make us any safer, and that doing so writes ISIS propaganda for them, but that doesn’t quite get to the heart of my objection to what’s going on. The real answer is BECAUSE THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS, TOO. You see, I was raised in a very Christian household. I spent a large part of my childhood in many different churches. When I was very young, I didn’t go Trick or Treating on Halloween, I spent it in church. When I was a Freshman in High School, instead of partying with my friends, I prayed in the New Year with my cousin’s youth group. Hell, until I got to college, I thought I was going to be a minister one day. Of course, now I don’t go to church, and I don’t consider myself religious at all, but there’s a few things about those experiences that I feel very fortunate to have had. One is the message Christianity gave me that will always stay with me: Help each other.
That’s it, no need for narrative to go along with it. I have yet to see anything that would lead me to believe that Jesus would be here with us saying “oh yeah, f those refugees. Keep em away from our country!” Quite frankly, I think he would be pretty upset at those who profess his name the loudest in these circumstances. Yet those people keep shouting his name out of one side of their mouths, and rampant xenophobia out of the other. So what’s the disconnect? Am I wrong about the theology? Did I miss a sermon or two?
Let me think for a second… No.
Christianity is a difficult religion to actually practice. It’s easy to repeat scripture, even with conviction. It’s easy to say “I will only surround myself with those who share my beliefs”, but that was not what Jesus commanded. He never wanted us to withhold support, or love, or help from those in need because they chose a different religion. He said over and over to love each other, and that which we do to the least of our brethren, we do unto him, and that can be a difficult task for all of us. Right now there are many out there who want to use their faith as a reason to deny help to those most in need. To be frank, I don’t want to hear anything about their faith until they repent, and change their hearts on this. If they do, then I will take them seriously as people of faith.
Even though I may not be religious anymore, there’s still that impulse urging me to do as Jesus would. That is why I identify with progressive politics. We are here to help each other, and there is no greater work than that. For that reason I will continue to work toward allowing refugees safe haven in our country. I hope you will join me.
Please, if you have a moment any time soon, contact your Senators, and your Governor, and ask them to reject the voices of fear, and help the refugees who need us right now.