Word to the Wise
Sunday, October 26, 2008 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
[Exodus 22:20-26; 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10; Matthew 22:34-40]You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt........ (Exodus) You shall love your neighbor as yourself.......(Matthew)
Despite the religious foundations of the early New England settlements that saw the efforts in terms of a delivery like that celebrated in Exodus, and despite the eloquent words engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty about welcoming newcomers to our shores, this country has a very spotty record about immigration. It is a very sensitive topic because it touches on racial/ethnic/cultural questions, economic questions, religious questions, political questions.......you name it! Immigration will bring forth all kinds of feelings arising out of those topics! THEY don't speak English. THEY don't pay taxes. THEY don't worship the way WE do. THEY will vote the wrong way (whatever that is!). There are plenty of statistical studies that show that these fears are greatly exaggerated. What concerns me is the clear teaching of Jesus (and Exodus) about reaching out in love to others. Right now, there's a huge wall being built along the USA/Mexico border. (Why not one along the Canadian border? Hmmmmm?) In the Gospel of Luke, the question asked in today's gospel (from Matthew) is followed by the story of the Good Samaritan! That story is Jesus' interpretation of the meaning of the commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself. If there was ever an alien in that time the Samaritan would be that person. Yet it is the alien who reaches out to the Jew who ordinarily wouldn't even allow a Samaritan near him/her! This happens after the victim's own countrymen pass him by! Whatever objections and problems we may have about immigration, it seems to me that in immigration matters in this country some fundamental Christian beliefs are in great danger of being sidelined in the name of political, ethnic, economic and religious fears. If the scriptures for this Sunday inspire us to look into these fears and see if they have any basis, then we will have made a first small step forward to a better love of "the alien in our midst." If our heart's are moved beyond simply erasing a prejudice and toward positively welcoming and helping newcomers, then a BIG step will have been made. AMEN
config
view
logs
3840.0 KB
89 ms
4
