There were three of us children, and my parents raised us with intention. They bought a set of encyclopedias while my big brother was still in diapers and dutifully put the yearbook stickers in place each year. We had swim lessons, homemade birthday parties, and we were even on TV with Miss Marsha.
Despite all this attention to planning, the most important thing my parents ever did for us was done for someone else’s benefit.
When we were about 6, 8 and 9, my parents sponsored a refugee family from Cambodia. I do not remember the family discussions we must have had before their arrival. What I remember is a young woman clutching a toddler in an oversized dress, with her husband and brother at her side. Not one of them knew a word of English. They were at once frightened, and incredibly brave.
We children lost our basement playroom, where we had once been allowed to develop empires of Lego blocks and cardboard boxes for our marble people, or to drag out our mad scientist experiments for days or weeks with no clean-up call. The new people descended into this abode, and slept for most of a day. I perched on the steps, watching their brown feet for any sign of movement.
They smelled like spices I did not know, and they spoke volumes with dark eyes and timid smiles. I loved them right away. I was glad to give up my basement. I’d have given them my bedroom, my playhouse, and all my toys, too.
My mother prepared food she thought our guests would appreciate – chicken, rice and vegetables. The Cambodians sat around the table, staring. They would not eat. She called an interpreter, who looked at the spread and laughed softly.
“They’re confused,” she explained. “You’ve served an entire chicken. They’re probably worried this is all the meat for the next week. And that bowl of rice on the table – that’s only enough rice for one or two people.”
My mother took them to an Asian market. She stared wide-eyed as Len pointed to a fifty pound bag of rice. Soon Len was in the kitchen, treating us all to a sumptuous Cambodian meal. The rice was firm and dry, without the butter or sugar preferred here in the South. She spooned a steaming mound onto each plate, and garnished it with two bites of chicken cooked in ginger and a spoonful of steamed vegetables.
Our next task was to teach our guests English. When I remember my childhood home, I remember words taped all over the house: window, door, piano, and chair. My parents argued over “little tree,” which Mom worried they would assign to all pine trees. Dad compensated by labeling a dozen more trees.
We kids argued over weightier matters: Is it more Christian to teach Houn swear words, or to risk that he might not know if someone insults him at work?
Over time, our house guests learned the language and the culture. They worked hard, saved money, and eventually moved to Washington State to be near other family members. The experience was so positive, my parents opted to repeat it, later taking in members of Len’s extended family.
Although our Cambodian friends now live on the other side of the continent, they never forget to share their lives with us through calls, visits and photographs. Recently my parents were invited to a wedding, where they were honored as though their sacrifices had taken place only yesterday.
Of course, I do not remember any sacrifices. What I remember is growing up with an extra big brother to fend off the bullies. I remember holding a little brown baby and learning to say her name. I remember teaching a small boy to ride a bike. I remember Homp working in the garden and helping with the cows. I’m sure my parents (who will be embarrassed by this column) would say that everything they gave was repaid tenfold in terms of love, loyalty and generosity.
Because my parents were so intentional about our raising, they must have discussed the prospective impact of refugee sponsorship on their own developing children. They obviously believed the benefits to us children outweighed any risks. Still, I doubt they could have foreseen the impact it would have on us. Of all the things my parents did for us – the money spent on education, the hours baking in the sun to cheer us on at swim meets or freezing at football games, and all the shopping, chauffeuring, lecturing and worrying -- everything pales in comparison to this:
My parents taught us to love people before they have earned it.
Such unmerited love is the heart of Christmas. Not only can we say “God so loved the world,” (John 3:16) but also that “Christ died for us while we were yet sinners.” (Romans 5:8) God did not wait for us to realize we needed a Savior. God did not declare that in order to receive help we must first learn a language, or fill out the right paperwork, or be born a certain color or under a certain creed. Our Savior reached out to us in perfect love, not in spite of our destitute state, but because of it.
This is what we need to give our children. Give them a model of the world that empowers them to go forth in love, trusting the goodness of God and the resilience of the human spirit.
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Showing posts with label immigration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label immigration. Show all posts
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, January 28, 2008
Setting the record straight
Evaluating election rumors
With a flimsy platform and no strong candidate, Republicans are hoping to win the November election on whisper campaigns and character assassination. Let’s check out some of their claims.
No, Hillary Clinton did not defend the Black Panthers who killed and tortured Alex Rackley. Hillary Clinton was a student at that time, not an attorney or a politician. She attended the trial as a volunteer observer for the ACLU, but had no impact on the outcome. Like many students, she was concerned about whether the black defendants were receiving a fair trial, and she participated in protests calling for a change of venue.
No, people who oppose the Clintons do not meet an untimely demise. The “Clinton Body Count” is so preposterous that no reasonable person could entertain the idea. For a body-by-body debunking, see http://www.snopes.com/. The shorter version is: If Hillary Clinton had a 50-person hit list, wouldn’t the Republicans be all over that? She would certainly be sitting in jail for connections to even one murder.
No, Secret Service agents did not claim Hillary Clinton was rude and arrogant, mistreating her agents and even charging them rent. As early as 1993 Time Magazine reported a known political trick in which spurious Clinton stories were “leaked” to the press. Often these stories were attributed to anonymous Secret Service agents as a way to lend credibility to the false claim. As for rent, the Clintons are entitled to receive $1,100 per month for housing Secret Service agents in their Chappaqua, NY home – but they turned down the money.
No, Obama does not refuse to pledge the flag and yes, he has flags on his website. Obama has been videotaped pledging the flag. His website is red, white and blue (mostly blue.) The background centers on an eagle holding a shield and flag. His logo, shown multiple times on every page, is an interpretation of the American flag and the theme of hope (the sun rising over a field) all framed as a big O.
No, Obama does not attend a covertly Muslim church that excludes whites. Obama is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC). The membership of TUCC is predominantly black, and the church places great emphasis on honoring African heritage and promoting the idea that “black is beautiful.” However, all people are welcome at the church, which adheres to the theology of the United Church of Christ.
No, Obama did not take the oath of office by swearing on the Koran. That would be a strange thing for a Christian to do. Obama was sworn in on the Bible.
No, John Edwards did not cause the 2004 flu vaccine shortage. The urban legend states that John Edwards sued a pharmaceutical company on behalf of a man who contracted the flu after receiving the vaccine. Supposedly the threat of further litigation ensures that no pharmaceutical company in the Unite States will dare to make the flu vaccine. The legend claims that the 2004 flu vaccine shortage resulted from contamination of a flu vaccine facility in the UK. This one is false all the way around. John Edwards never litigated a flu case. Anyway, the flu vaccine is manufactured in the United States. It was a US facility that was shut down due to contamination, resulting in the shortage. The real reason few pharmaceutical companies produce flu vaccine is because the profit margin for flu vaccine is very slim.
What about the Republican candidates? Is there a whisper campaign against them? Every email I have received has been against a Democrat. Even searching for GOP candidate names along with “urban legend,” I came up with very few stories, all of which are substantiated by reputable media outlets.
Yes, Senator McCain supported amnesty for illegal immigrants. In 2006 and 2007, McCain joined with Ted Kennedy in supporting Senate bills that would give amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. He also denounced and voted against an amendment designed to stop illegal immigrants from receiving social security benefits through identity fraud. McCain co-sponsored the Dream Act, which provided in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants. Later he said he would have voted against his own legislation – but in fact he was absent when the vote was taken.
Yes, McCain is being swift-boated. There really is a group called Vietnam Veterans against John McCain. They claim that Senator McCain committed treason and does not deserve his medals because he gave the enemy information while he was being tortured as a POW. According to McCain’s own account, he did give the enemy information – some true and some false. For example, when asked to name the members of his squadron, he listed the names of the Green Bay Packers offensive line. McCain is a war hero as far as I am concerned, but it is true that this group exists and that they insist otherwise.
Yes, Mitt Romney transported his dog in a cage strapped to the top of the car during a 12-hour journey to visit his parents. The 1983 misadventure was reported in the Boston Globe last June. Romney clarified that he attempted to shield the dog with some sort of makeshift windshield. The scared pooch developed diarrhea, so Romney stopped at a gas station and hosed down the dog, the carrier, and the back of the car. Romney’s campaign-trail response to pet-loving critics: “They’re not happy that my dog loves fresh air.”
Speaking of dogs, Snopes confirms that Mike Huckabee’s son was fired from his job as a Boy Scout Camp counselor after he killed a dog by hanging. John Bailey, then director of Arkansas state police, claims Huckabee refused to allow police to investigate whether the boy violated animal cruelty laws. Huckabee says that Bailey is just a disgruntled employee. Huckabee says the dog was mangy, emaciated, and threatening, and that his son acted out of compassion.
Yes, Huckabee had a prominent role in the release of a serial rapist in Arkansas. Worse, the decision to release Wayne Dumond 25 years early appears to be politically motivated. Dumond was convicted and incarcerated while Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas. One of the victims, a seventeen-year-old high school cheerleader named Ashley Stevens, was distantly related to Clinton. Republicans seized on the connection to claim that the man had been wrongfully convicted.
Soon after election, Governor Huckabee began to agitate for Wayne Dumond’s release. In his book, “From Hope to Higher Ground,” Huckabee states that he worried Dumond might be innocent. He was callous enough to say this to Ashley Stevens when she begged him to keep Dumond behind bars. According to the Huffington Post, Huckabee’s office kept the visit secret, as well as letters from numerous victims warning that Dumond would strike again. They were right. Dumond then raped and then suffocated a 39-year-old woman. He was arrested again, the day after he allegedly raped and murdered a pregnant woman. Huckabee’s response amounts to “Who knew?” Other times he has blamed Clinton for Dumond’s release, pretending the commutation happened before his term.
In an election of this import, voters must make the effort to find out the truth. Don’t go into the voting precinct next Tuesday with a head full of lies. Cut through the urban legends – and even the campaign rhetoric – to consider a candidate’s true stance on the issues. Past voting records are the best clue.
We can believe that Democrats will institute nationwide healthcare coverage – and that Republicans consider it unnecessary. We can believe that Huckabee will be soft on crime and add to his 1,000+ pardons. We cannot believe McCain on immigration or Romney on abortion, because their positions are shifting and do not match their voting patterns. We can believe the Republicans when they say they will extend the war in the Middle East for 100 years or more. We can believe Democrats when they say they will end the war and bring troops home.
With a flimsy platform and no strong candidate, Republicans are hoping to win the November election on whisper campaigns and character assassination. Let’s check out some of their claims.
No, Hillary Clinton did not defend the Black Panthers who killed and tortured Alex Rackley. Hillary Clinton was a student at that time, not an attorney or a politician. She attended the trial as a volunteer observer for the ACLU, but had no impact on the outcome. Like many students, she was concerned about whether the black defendants were receiving a fair trial, and she participated in protests calling for a change of venue.
No, people who oppose the Clintons do not meet an untimely demise. The “Clinton Body Count” is so preposterous that no reasonable person could entertain the idea. For a body-by-body debunking, see http://www.snopes.com/. The shorter version is: If Hillary Clinton had a 50-person hit list, wouldn’t the Republicans be all over that? She would certainly be sitting in jail for connections to even one murder.
No, Secret Service agents did not claim Hillary Clinton was rude and arrogant, mistreating her agents and even charging them rent. As early as 1993 Time Magazine reported a known political trick in which spurious Clinton stories were “leaked” to the press. Often these stories were attributed to anonymous Secret Service agents as a way to lend credibility to the false claim. As for rent, the Clintons are entitled to receive $1,100 per month for housing Secret Service agents in their Chappaqua, NY home – but they turned down the money.
No, Obama does not refuse to pledge the flag and yes, he has flags on his website. Obama has been videotaped pledging the flag. His website is red, white and blue (mostly blue.) The background centers on an eagle holding a shield and flag. His logo, shown multiple times on every page, is an interpretation of the American flag and the theme of hope (the sun rising over a field) all framed as a big O.
No, Obama does not attend a covertly Muslim church that excludes whites. Obama is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC). The membership of TUCC is predominantly black, and the church places great emphasis on honoring African heritage and promoting the idea that “black is beautiful.” However, all people are welcome at the church, which adheres to the theology of the United Church of Christ.
No, Obama did not take the oath of office by swearing on the Koran. That would be a strange thing for a Christian to do. Obama was sworn in on the Bible.
No, John Edwards did not cause the 2004 flu vaccine shortage. The urban legend states that John Edwards sued a pharmaceutical company on behalf of a man who contracted the flu after receiving the vaccine. Supposedly the threat of further litigation ensures that no pharmaceutical company in the Unite States will dare to make the flu vaccine. The legend claims that the 2004 flu vaccine shortage resulted from contamination of a flu vaccine facility in the UK. This one is false all the way around. John Edwards never litigated a flu case. Anyway, the flu vaccine is manufactured in the United States. It was a US facility that was shut down due to contamination, resulting in the shortage. The real reason few pharmaceutical companies produce flu vaccine is because the profit margin for flu vaccine is very slim.
What about the Republican candidates? Is there a whisper campaign against them? Every email I have received has been against a Democrat. Even searching for GOP candidate names along with “urban legend,” I came up with very few stories, all of which are substantiated by reputable media outlets.
Yes, Senator McCain supported amnesty for illegal immigrants. In 2006 and 2007, McCain joined with Ted Kennedy in supporting Senate bills that would give amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. He also denounced and voted against an amendment designed to stop illegal immigrants from receiving social security benefits through identity fraud. McCain co-sponsored the Dream Act, which provided in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants. Later he said he would have voted against his own legislation – but in fact he was absent when the vote was taken.
Yes, McCain is being swift-boated. There really is a group called Vietnam Veterans against John McCain. They claim that Senator McCain committed treason and does not deserve his medals because he gave the enemy information while he was being tortured as a POW. According to McCain’s own account, he did give the enemy information – some true and some false. For example, when asked to name the members of his squadron, he listed the names of the Green Bay Packers offensive line. McCain is a war hero as far as I am concerned, but it is true that this group exists and that they insist otherwise.
Yes, Mitt Romney transported his dog in a cage strapped to the top of the car during a 12-hour journey to visit his parents. The 1983 misadventure was reported in the Boston Globe last June. Romney clarified that he attempted to shield the dog with some sort of makeshift windshield. The scared pooch developed diarrhea, so Romney stopped at a gas station and hosed down the dog, the carrier, and the back of the car. Romney’s campaign-trail response to pet-loving critics: “They’re not happy that my dog loves fresh air.”
Speaking of dogs, Snopes confirms that Mike Huckabee’s son was fired from his job as a Boy Scout Camp counselor after he killed a dog by hanging. John Bailey, then director of Arkansas state police, claims Huckabee refused to allow police to investigate whether the boy violated animal cruelty laws. Huckabee says that Bailey is just a disgruntled employee. Huckabee says the dog was mangy, emaciated, and threatening, and that his son acted out of compassion.
Yes, Huckabee had a prominent role in the release of a serial rapist in Arkansas. Worse, the decision to release Wayne Dumond 25 years early appears to be politically motivated. Dumond was convicted and incarcerated while Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas. One of the victims, a seventeen-year-old high school cheerleader named Ashley Stevens, was distantly related to Clinton. Republicans seized on the connection to claim that the man had been wrongfully convicted.
Soon after election, Governor Huckabee began to agitate for Wayne Dumond’s release. In his book, “From Hope to Higher Ground,” Huckabee states that he worried Dumond might be innocent. He was callous enough to say this to Ashley Stevens when she begged him to keep Dumond behind bars. According to the Huffington Post, Huckabee’s office kept the visit secret, as well as letters from numerous victims warning that Dumond would strike again. They were right. Dumond then raped and then suffocated a 39-year-old woman. He was arrested again, the day after he allegedly raped and murdered a pregnant woman. Huckabee’s response amounts to “Who knew?” Other times he has blamed Clinton for Dumond’s release, pretending the commutation happened before his term.
In an election of this import, voters must make the effort to find out the truth. Don’t go into the voting precinct next Tuesday with a head full of lies. Cut through the urban legends – and even the campaign rhetoric – to consider a candidate’s true stance on the issues. Past voting records are the best clue.
We can believe that Democrats will institute nationwide healthcare coverage – and that Republicans consider it unnecessary. We can believe that Huckabee will be soft on crime and add to his 1,000+ pardons. We cannot believe McCain on immigration or Romney on abortion, because their positions are shifting and do not match their voting patterns. We can believe the Republicans when they say they will extend the war in the Middle East for 100 years or more. We can believe Democrats when they say they will end the war and bring troops home.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Looking into the eyes of Jesus
The real Christmas story
During the Christmas holidays, several news outlets carried an article about Rudy Giuliani reading the Christmas story at a children’s home in Harlem. The heart-warming headline was followed by a story explaining that he is following up on a fourteen year tradition. Every December Giuliani goes to the children’s home to read “Twas the Night before Christmas.”
Reading to children is a nice gesture. On Christmas Eve, my father-in-law read us all the Christmas story, and charged us to read it every year, even after he is gone from this earth. But he was not reading what Rudy Giuliani was reading. “Twas the Night before Christmas” is not the real Christmas story.
For those who have forgotten, the Christmas story is set in a little Israeli town called Bethlehem. It’s a musical, which opens with a young woman singing her joy at being chosen to bear a special child. It continues with a rousing number sung from the very heavens by a choir of angelic beings.
The amazing thing is that the Christmas child is no mere baby – he is the very incarnation of God. Our Creator, who cared for us and was rejected by us, sought to rectify the situation by becoming one of us. God could have come down here as a judge bent on revenge. Instead, the Divine took on human flesh, entering our world and our timeline as a helpless, bloody infant.
The Christmas story pre-dates “Twas the Night before Christmas” by a couple of thousand years. That’s not to say I don’t like Santa. He has rosy cheeks and a big, round belly that shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly. What’s not to like? We can hardly blame Coca-Cola’s Santa Claus or his predecessor Saint Nicholas for the commercialization of the holiday.
Christmas commercialism extends beyond our own families; now we have every church, school, business and civic group raising money and toys to make sure that poor children have their share of commercialism, too. Don’t get me wrong; I like gifts. Baby Jesus received a few nice gifts that Christmas morning, and I think we ought to continue the tradition. Giving gifts to those who cannot buy their own is an especially caring idea – much better than racking your brain to find that special something for a person who already has everything.
Even stray cats receive a little Christmas love. A few weeks ago, my son spotted a little black kitten in the Ingles parking lot. We have a one-pet rule, which is already broken by the proliferation of semi-domesticated raccoons that occupy our back porch every evening. The answer was no – but it was Christmas, and the kitten looked so small and helpless… As my son approached, the cat darted into the culvert and looked back at us with golden eyes. She was right where she wanted to be.
I was moved when my sister called to tell me that someone was setting out cat food for “the little black kitten who lives in the culvert at Ingles.” I didn’t know anyone else knew about the kitten, but I soon learned that my mother and my sister both tried to catch it. Now I wonder just how many of my neighbors saw the Ingles kitten and longed to help. Christmas brings that out in us.
I also like the fragrances of evergreen and hot cider, the incessant ringing of the Salvation Army bell, and the holiday sales. I like my Aunt Odette’s traditional oyster dressing and thin gravy. I like that my brother flies down from Boston, crisp and cosmopolitan in his black wool coat. I like the Christmas music playing in the background, and the sparkle in the children’s eyes as they examine every ornament on Grandmother’s tree.
But sometimes in all the excitement, we forget about the baby. Even in our churches, where the choir has been practicing a Christmas cantata for months and the purple candles are lit by a different family each week, we can miss the point: Emmanuel, God with us. That baby was divinity wrapped in human flesh. A holy God, that we could never reach or touch, came down to intersect our lives.
Our response was not very good back then, either. The inn-keepers all turned the poor travelers away – all except for one, who had only enough compassion to point them toward a barn. A few shepherds showed up, and later an untold number of magi (the Bible never says three) arrived to honor the Christ-child. The rest of the world could not hear his thin cries above the hubbub of the crowd traveling home to pay their taxes. God came to earth, and learned there was no room for him here.
In fact, when the reigning king learned of his birth, all the newborns in town were slaughtered in an attempt to kill Jesus. The young parents took the baby and fled to a foreign land. If the Egyptians had deported them, we might not singing “Silent Night.”
Is there room for Christ today? In Cincinnati, Rev. Larry Kreps is under fire for providing food and shelter to illegal immigrants who were fleeing a raid. Some members of John Wesley United Methodist Church were uncomfortable with their church building being used to provide sanctuary for “illegals.” Kreps admits that he was conflicted when the desperate families appeared on his doorstep. "Of course we're coming into Christmas and the question: 'Is there room at the inn?'," Kreps said. "I'd rather be someone who makes room somewhere."
Many churches, food banks and private organizations have already faced this question. Some have answered with a resounding “No room.” They use citizenship as a qualifier for who can receive assistance. This is accomplished by requiring vouchers, social security cards, or other identifying information to prove citizenship.
Republicans and Libertarians who oppose welfare often state that it is the job of churches – not governments – to provide charitable help to those in need. As the government responds to public pressure to deport illegal immigrants, split up families, and deny even emergency medical assistance, Christian churches will have the opportunity to demonstrate the depth of their convictions. What we will do for the sick and the hungry among us? Will we look at the color of their skin and demand identification? Will we refuse to feed the hungry man who has no social security number? Will we turn away sick children because their parents were born in another land?
Whatever a person believes about government welfare, the responsibility of Christians is clear. Jesus warned us that “whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me.” (Matthew 25:45) The families on the doorstep of John Wesley United Methodist Church looked up at Rev. Kreps with dark eyes filled with hope and fear. He smiled, because he knew he was looking into the eyes of Jesus.
During the Christmas holidays, several news outlets carried an article about Rudy Giuliani reading the Christmas story at a children’s home in Harlem. The heart-warming headline was followed by a story explaining that he is following up on a fourteen year tradition. Every December Giuliani goes to the children’s home to read “Twas the Night before Christmas.”
Reading to children is a nice gesture. On Christmas Eve, my father-in-law read us all the Christmas story, and charged us to read it every year, even after he is gone from this earth. But he was not reading what Rudy Giuliani was reading. “Twas the Night before Christmas” is not the real Christmas story.
For those who have forgotten, the Christmas story is set in a little Israeli town called Bethlehem. It’s a musical, which opens with a young woman singing her joy at being chosen to bear a special child. It continues with a rousing number sung from the very heavens by a choir of angelic beings.
The amazing thing is that the Christmas child is no mere baby – he is the very incarnation of God. Our Creator, who cared for us and was rejected by us, sought to rectify the situation by becoming one of us. God could have come down here as a judge bent on revenge. Instead, the Divine took on human flesh, entering our world and our timeline as a helpless, bloody infant.
The Christmas story pre-dates “Twas the Night before Christmas” by a couple of thousand years. That’s not to say I don’t like Santa. He has rosy cheeks and a big, round belly that shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly. What’s not to like? We can hardly blame Coca-Cola’s Santa Claus or his predecessor Saint Nicholas for the commercialization of the holiday.
Christmas commercialism extends beyond our own families; now we have every church, school, business and civic group raising money and toys to make sure that poor children have their share of commercialism, too. Don’t get me wrong; I like gifts. Baby Jesus received a few nice gifts that Christmas morning, and I think we ought to continue the tradition. Giving gifts to those who cannot buy their own is an especially caring idea – much better than racking your brain to find that special something for a person who already has everything.
Even stray cats receive a little Christmas love. A few weeks ago, my son spotted a little black kitten in the Ingles parking lot. We have a one-pet rule, which is already broken by the proliferation of semi-domesticated raccoons that occupy our back porch every evening. The answer was no – but it was Christmas, and the kitten looked so small and helpless… As my son approached, the cat darted into the culvert and looked back at us with golden eyes. She was right where she wanted to be.
I was moved when my sister called to tell me that someone was setting out cat food for “the little black kitten who lives in the culvert at Ingles.” I didn’t know anyone else knew about the kitten, but I soon learned that my mother and my sister both tried to catch it. Now I wonder just how many of my neighbors saw the Ingles kitten and longed to help. Christmas brings that out in us.
I also like the fragrances of evergreen and hot cider, the incessant ringing of the Salvation Army bell, and the holiday sales. I like my Aunt Odette’s traditional oyster dressing and thin gravy. I like that my brother flies down from Boston, crisp and cosmopolitan in his black wool coat. I like the Christmas music playing in the background, and the sparkle in the children’s eyes as they examine every ornament on Grandmother’s tree.
But sometimes in all the excitement, we forget about the baby. Even in our churches, where the choir has been practicing a Christmas cantata for months and the purple candles are lit by a different family each week, we can miss the point: Emmanuel, God with us. That baby was divinity wrapped in human flesh. A holy God, that we could never reach or touch, came down to intersect our lives.
Our response was not very good back then, either. The inn-keepers all turned the poor travelers away – all except for one, who had only enough compassion to point them toward a barn. A few shepherds showed up, and later an untold number of magi (the Bible never says three) arrived to honor the Christ-child. The rest of the world could not hear his thin cries above the hubbub of the crowd traveling home to pay their taxes. God came to earth, and learned there was no room for him here.
In fact, when the reigning king learned of his birth, all the newborns in town were slaughtered in an attempt to kill Jesus. The young parents took the baby and fled to a foreign land. If the Egyptians had deported them, we might not singing “Silent Night.”
Is there room for Christ today? In Cincinnati, Rev. Larry Kreps is under fire for providing food and shelter to illegal immigrants who were fleeing a raid. Some members of John Wesley United Methodist Church were uncomfortable with their church building being used to provide sanctuary for “illegals.” Kreps admits that he was conflicted when the desperate families appeared on his doorstep. "Of course we're coming into Christmas and the question: 'Is there room at the inn?'," Kreps said. "I'd rather be someone who makes room somewhere."
Many churches, food banks and private organizations have already faced this question. Some have answered with a resounding “No room.” They use citizenship as a qualifier for who can receive assistance. This is accomplished by requiring vouchers, social security cards, or other identifying information to prove citizenship.
Republicans and Libertarians who oppose welfare often state that it is the job of churches – not governments – to provide charitable help to those in need. As the government responds to public pressure to deport illegal immigrants, split up families, and deny even emergency medical assistance, Christian churches will have the opportunity to demonstrate the depth of their convictions. What we will do for the sick and the hungry among us? Will we look at the color of their skin and demand identification? Will we refuse to feed the hungry man who has no social security number? Will we turn away sick children because their parents were born in another land?
Whatever a person believes about government welfare, the responsibility of Christians is clear. Jesus warned us that “whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me.” (Matthew 25:45) The families on the doorstep of John Wesley United Methodist Church looked up at Rev. Kreps with dark eyes filled with hope and fear. He smiled, because he knew he was looking into the eyes of Jesus.
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