Welcoming Jesus
[The Lord dispenses justice, saying,] “I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame.” – Zephaniah 3:19b (NIV)
Advent is a story of immigrants, told by immigrants, to other immigrants: The weary journey, often forced. The heavy taxes. They have nowhere to sleep. Their family is left behind. The future is unclear. Some become lame, a contested word, by walking too long too long. Exile is their middle name in the middle of their long passage, no longer home and yet no longer there either. Mama, when are we gonna get there?
Lots of people think immigration is a “political” problem. What a mess! Zephaniah disagrees. It is God problem, unheard and ignored by those too stiff to stretch in welcome. It is arteriosclerotic. National borders are a myth, useful to a minority and abusive to majorities.
Luis Alberto Urrea pictures a world where immigration is normal, where borders are not, where children play volleyball with each other over the wall. Where travelers don’t die of thirst in the desert but instead are welcomed, one bottle of water at a time.
“Polytopophilia” is the love of many places. Migration equity happens when everybody gets to move around a lot, including exiles. The best immigration policy puts its spirit heart first and its political heart last.
Nobody wants to be “overrun.” Everybody wants to welcome the Josephs and the Marys and the baby Jesuses, as long as it’s beneficial to “us,” as long as it’s not too expensive. We then do our best to save our self-respect and our honor, while knowing that perfect is only for Christmas Eve.
Prayer
Hoarse God, mess with us and our immigration policy. Then let us look anew at the child Jesus, welcomed everywhere for centuries around the world. Heal our broken hearts. Amen.
About the AuthorDonna Schaper is an interim Pastor at the United Church of Gainesville, Florida, and author, most recently of Remove the Pews—first from your theology, then from your building.