Why We Should Care by ACHUCKAllen
I’ve been stirred deep in my soul that whatever the truth is regarding our immigration crisis on our southern border, that the faith based community must become part of the solution, not just another mouthpiece of strife.
I’ve read through so many statistics and so many differing opinions on this topic and I’ve discovered one commonality among every party, person and platform. That one commonality? It’s a mess no matter what your thoughts are or party lines that you prefer. Honestly, you can do a simple Google search and discover every possible position that you can imagine.
There are folks firm in their belief that we should build a wall…a massive wall…a wall worth billions or dollars. There are folks that think we should open our doors and become a sanctuary nation. There are folks that want us is to bus, fly or pixie-dust the folks awaiting entry or asylum back to wherever they came from. There are folks that want a new bill that will ease entry and folks that want a new bill that will stop all entry.
I know we should care about our borders and our national security, but the one thing that seems to be lost in this political hot potato are the people in the MIDDLE. The folks that have left their countries to seek a new life in this great land that I was blessed to be born in. PLEASE HEAR ME! I am not suggesting that the US Customs and Border Control are or have been the problem. These hard working folks are undermanned, underfunded and under extraordinary scrutiny. I’m not even sure about whether the laws and legalities of acquiring US citizenship should be changed. BUT! But I do know that while folks that must be smarter and better equipped than me determine how to settle the political battles, people in THE MIDDLE appear to be in a mess. A big mess!
I started praying about this situation and honestly want to run from it. I told Jenny, “I have no way of making a difference in this issue, what could I possibly do. I’m praying that the Divine would raise up a leader that could stir a movement in the modern, evangelical community. Someone that could do something significant for the folks that seem to be trapped in the middle.” Her answer? “Maybe you are who the Lord might want to use you to make a big difference.” YIKES!
“I’m just Chuck. I pastor a great church, but honestly, really? Lord, I do not have time for this. I’m almost sixty-years old and my calendar is already out of control. Lord, I’m over committed and often stressed about how to get everything done already. How about you ask somebody else to make this their fight?” And then I started poking around the issue some more and discovered that discovering the truth about what is going on isn’t as simple as it might seem.
In my writing, research, phone calls and prayers I was completely out of the blue invited to join a couple of other folks on a tour of a few detention centers right on the border with the Deputy Director of Homeland Security. I know, right? Mind blown and stomach queasy. The trick, I had to find a way to get to El Paso by July 11, meet up with this small group and make a day of seeing the real deal most of the day July 12. Now remember, my plan was for the Lord to open this kind of door for someone else. Someone with a voice that carried great weight and urgency. And then the Lord said, “Chuck, GO!”
And so, I trust that you’ll be kind enough to pray for my trip and for eyes and heart to be opened to the truth about the folks in THE MIDDLE.
Why should we care about the individuals and families in the middle of this mess? Because they were created in the image of God and He loves them and has called us – the Body of Christ – to care about them and for them. If I were from Venezuela, or any of the other countries the folks are fleeing from and I were stuck in the middle, I’d be praying that God’s People would show up in force to love me, help me and serve me in the name of Jesus the Lord.
I promise you that this isn’t a political trip with some right or left wing agenda. I am biased. I am biased with a heart to serve and love people with a gracious heart and helpful hands.
I’ve heard so many stories that are on the ridiculous edges of reason, from both sides that I have now trained my brain to ask this question about every picture and every opinionated article: “But is it a true representation?” And each picture that I see, I question it’s authenticity. We should care about this because the only way that we can care for and love these folks caught in THE MIDDLE is to see firsthand the needs and issues that truly exist.
Will you care along with me and start praying about how to serve the folks serving in our Customs and Border Patrol and the folks that seem to be stuck in THE MIDDLE? One thing has become radically apparent to me in this quest. God cares for everybody in this crisis and He has a plan for how He will fix it. We should care because He cares and His plan to fix it is us…me and you!
Thanks for your prayers and thanks for caring.
Peace, AChuck
