Steve Frey
It must be challenging to be a minister in some churches in the New River Valley these days.
Services will be taking place today and tomorrow, and thousands of people will be looking to the minister for moral guidance. Does the pastor speak out against injustice and risk alienating a lot of the congregation or talk around issues to avoid disputes?
It seems like there is a new, divisive issue coming out of Washington DC almost every week, which certainly provides good subject matter for sermons. But this week’s problem, the separation of children from their parents on the border with Mexico, is one of the most heartrending.
Since the Attorney General sent out his “zero tolerance” memo calling for anyone trying to get into the United States illegally to be arrested (some have been arrested in seeking asylum, too.) and go to criminal proceedings rather than civil immigration court, children have been taken away and placed in “detention camps” while the parents await trial.
They are coming to the United States to escape gang violence, abusive spouses, poverty and other horrible third-world issues. They believe America is the land of opportunity.
They are desperate. They try to get in and start a new life, but many are rejected at the port of entry (victims of gang violence and domestic abuse are no longer accepted for asylum, for example.) and then arrested when they try to come in anyway.
Then, their children are taken away from them—even babies.
Everyone has heard the crying of the children and their begging to be reunited with their parents. Everyone has seen the pictures of chain-link fences surrounding them and the mats they sleep on at night.
Can there be any question that these young children should not have been separated from their mothers and fathers? Can’t everyone agree that the mass separation of children from their parents is just wrong?
No, people can’t agree. Some people feel the administration’s policy, which could have been changed weeks ago by Presidential order and finally was on Wednesday, is a good thing.
They say that rules are rules. They believe the ends justify the means, no matter what they are.
Sometimes, however, the established standards are wrong.
For example, American Indians had their children taken away from them and sent to “Indian Schools,” so that their traditions and language could be replaced and they could forcibly be made Christians.
Slaves had their children sold and sent far south to distant plantations, never to see their parents or families again.
Both of those instances were times in American history when cruel, misguided Americans committed horrible atrocities. In both cases, people often used religious grounds to support the miscarriage of justice but ignored the words and actions of Jesus.
Tomorrow morning, ministers could preach some valuable lessons. They could talk about the psychological damage that has been done to thousands of children.
They might point out the agony that the children, mothers and fathers have been experiencing.
No matter how difficult the problem may be, mistreating children can’t be the moral solution. How does the minister soften the heart of someone who sees nothing wrong with that process?
How do you help someone who sees only a problem and not the depth of human suffering that is caused by a brutal solution?
A start might be by talking about it and showing people, based on the gospels, a better way to treat each other. Another easy and compelling message is WWJD: What would Jesus do?
In Luke’s gospel about the naming of John the Baptist, the people asked about John: “What will this child turn out to be?” Little did they know that he would “prepare the way for the Lord.”
With all of the detained children, the same question can be asked: “what will this child turn out to be?”
Could these children grow up to be teachers, nurses, ministers, doctors or have some other occupation that might contribute to the betterment of American society, or will their traumatic experiences negatively change the course of their whole lives?
According to opinion polls, the vast majority of Americans feel the separation of these children is wrong and morally offensive. However, sitting in NRV churches tomorrow will be many who feel the ends (strict immigration legislation) justify the means (separating children and parents), ignoring the moral repugnance of this action.
No one is going to change the minds of those people easily. They don’t understand the effect that this is having on the children—or they don’t care. But the minister has an opportunity to reach them by talking about justice, faith, hope, charity and, above all, love.
If the minister does decide to speak to the plight of those children in part of a sermon, a prayer of the faithful or even as an aside, let him know how much you appreciate his doing the right thing. Let him know that you realize that not everyone will agree, but you do.
This is one of those times in history that helps to define a nation. America is at a difficult crossroads. It is struggling to find its moral compass.
When people like ministers, legislators and other community leaders bravely decide to take a stand for what is right, often in the face of relentless opposition, they should know that many do support and appreciate them.
Separating children by the thousands as a matter of public policy can’t be good for anyone but especially not for the children. America is better than that. The ends don’t justify the means if the means are abhorrent.
Yes, it must be challenging to be a minister these days, but thank God there are good men and women in positions of moral authority who will stand up for people—all people.
Thankfully, there are those who will preach that living lives of faith is more than hearing words in church but also acting on those words in life.
There are some situations where “render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s” might be an appropriate “out” to avoid division. Separating thousands of children from their parents isn’t one of those instances.
Hopefully, the children will be quickly reunited with their parents; hopefully, those in charge of this program have learned a lesson about compassion and morality.
Next week’s new crisis is probably just beyond the horizon. Just keep in mind: WWJD?
Steve Frey is a writer and CEO of Ascendant Educational Services based in Radford.
