There is a lot on the news about immigration reform lately. So I thought this prayer from Walter Brueggemann, On Controlling Our Borders, was fitting (and challenging):
Jesus–crucified and risen–draws us into his presence again,The one who had nowhere to lay his head,
no safe place,
no secure home,
no passport or visa,
no certified citizenship.
We gather around him in our safety, security, and well-being, and fret about “illegal immigrants”.
We fret because they are not like us and refuse our language. We worry that there are so many of them and there crossings do not stop. We are unsettled because it is our tax dollars that sustain them and provide services. We feel the hype about closing borders and heavy fines, because we imagine that our life is under threat.
And yet, as you know very well, we, all of us–early or late–are immigrants from elsewhere;
we are glad for cheap labor and seasonal workers to do tomatoes and apples and oranges to our savoring delight. And beyond that, even while we are beset by fears and aware of pragmatic costs, we know very well that you are the God who welcomes strangers, who loves aliens and protects sojourners.
As always, we feel the tension in the slippage between the deeper truth of our faith and the easier settlements of our society.
You do not ask for an easy way out, but for courage and honesty and faithfulness. Give us ease in the presence of those unlike us; give us generosity amid demands of those in need, help us to honor those who trespass as you forgive our trespasses.
You are the God of all forgiveness. By your gracious forgiveness transpose us into agents of your will, that our habits and inclinations may more closely follow your majestic lead, that our lives may joyously conform to your vision of the new world.
We pray in the name of your holy Son, even Jesus.
The Cruciform Pen 