You must have
heard the new immigration law in Arizona. This law enables the policemen to
question and arrest any person whom they "reasonably" doubt their legal status
in the US. What are the "reasonable suspicions" on the status of a person here
in the US? In the context of the United States, who are those may be reasonably
suspected with illegal status aside from those who actually commit a crime? Would it not be those who have foreign accent,
those who speak broken English and those who look like Hispanic or Asian?
A person who
go and a buy a dinner for his/her family and forgot to bring his legal
documents, may now be arrested. The family will wait until their dad or mom may
or may not be released from prison. There should be a way to differentiate a
responsible parent whose only wish is to feed and take care of his/her family
from drug smuggler, and human trafficker. This law will give authority to
misguided law enforcement officers to harass, intimidate, and violate the human
rights of people created in the image of God.
This law also
enables anyone to file charges or sue law enforcement officers who maybe suspected
of not doing their job of questioning and arresting people who fit the profile
of an undocumented immigrant.
We Americans
should know that oceans, barb wire, walls or fences will not deter migration of
people effectively to America or to any destination of hope for that matter.
Our Pilgrim ancestors knew this truth. Death and persecution and perilous
journeys did not deter them from seeking freedom and a better life for
themselves and for their families. I suspect that the root causes of illegal
immigration to the US include poverty and the uncontrolled violence that they
experience in their homeland brought about by illegal businesses of drugs and
weapons including assault weapons. Most of these weapons come from the US.
If we were to
solve immigration problem, we must have a comprehensive immigration reform. We
must mend our broken immigration laws. A qualified family should not wait 10-25
years before they can be reunited? Hardworking and responsible people whose
only desire is to have a better future, should be given the chance to become
part of the United States of America. This is what America has been known for. The
selling of assault weapons to our neighboring countries should be stopped or at
least controlled. The drug problem should be addressed also. America has become
a profitable market for illegal drugs.
It is my
prayer that what happened in Arizona will lead us to do something to address
the immigration problem. Like in the past, when crisis like this happen, the
best in our people and leaders especially in the Federal level, is brought
forth to address comprehensively the challenge of immigration.
We need to
speak up because we are all united in a "single garment of destiny". What
happened to one group of people will affect all the rest of the world. We need
to speak up because God wants us to share with the world God's will and vision
for all his people - to have abundant life for all (John 10:10). Let us
remember Jesus wants us to be the voice and strength of those "least members of
Christ's family." (Matthew 25:40). In the Old Testament, God pay attention in a
special way for those strangers, poor, orphans, and widows (Leviticus 19:10).
If we don't, we may find ourselves in the same shoes as the Lutheran Pastor
Martin Niemoeller who, reflecting on Nazi atrocities, he said:
First they
came for the communists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a
communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not
a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out -- because I
was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a
Jew;
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak out for me.
God calls us sacred - all people sacred. As holy people, we are called
to reflect the very life of our holy God who cares for all but with special
attention to the aliens, orphans and widows. Let us live and act as holy
people. Let us be bearers of love not hate, peace not oppression, justice not
discrimination, freedom not repression; uphold human rights all the time not
undermine the dignity and worth of every human being. Amen.
With all my love and prayers,
Pastor Juancho
THE CHALLENGE OF EASTER
Easter is the Queen
of all festivals in the Christian calendar. Easter validates the birth, life,
and passion of Jesus Christ. Easter is the ground of the Christian hope.
Through the years, Easter has become commercialized but not yet in the level
that Christmas has become.Easter has an
occasion for comfort, for family fun, and a time to forget the grim realities
even just for a while. These are all good things but if this is what Easter
really means to us, I think we are missing the point. Easter is both a time for
comfort and inspiration, a time to look at sad realities and a time of hope for
a better world, a time to realize how big is the challenge ahead of us and a
time for empowerment. Christ's resurrection is saying yes to positive change!
Yes to Life! Yes to human possibilities! Yes to love, and justice and peace and
freedom to reign supreme in the hearts of people, communities, nations and the
world.
Take for instance the
following:
At the first Easter
morning, the early disciples led my Mary Magdalene discovered the resurrection
because they decided to go to the tomb where Jesus was buried. There was a
seemingly insurmountable problem of "who will roll the stone away for us" (see
Mark 16:1-8) but this did not deter them. If we were to be true to the message
of Easter, we must also be willing to make our celebrations a trip to the tomb
of Jesus. The tomb of Jesus is wherever justice is ridiculed, love is frowned
upon, truth is suppressed, freedom is taken away and life is only for the few.
At the close of the
first Easter, there were two disciples walking towards Emmaus (Luke 24). Jesus
joined them but did not recognize him at first. In the course of their faith
conversation along the way, they felt their heart strangely warmed but they did
not recognized Jesus until the time he broke bread with them after a strong
persuasion to stay with them for the night because of security reason. The
message is clear, Easter's message is to help bring life to people especially
the least members of Christ's family.
Few days after the
first Easter morning, Jesus appeared again to the fearful disciples. The
apostle Thomas, this time was there. Remember Thomas was the apostle who said:
"Unless I touch the wound of Jesus hands, feet and sides, I would not believe
the resurrection." Jesus gave Thomas a chance to touch the wound of Jesus. Upon
touching Jesus, Thomas declared "My Lord and my God." Here again, the
resurrection was revealed by touching the wounds of Jesus. There are many
people out there who doubt the resurrection but if we can be bold enough to
show them the wound of Jesus on our bodies and in our life as a church, the
world will be easier to believe in the power of the resurrection.
Indeed a changed life
- a life that is more loving and giving, a life that is committed to justice,
peace and freedom, a life motivated and sustained by compassion and love - is
the greatest proof of the resurrection. May this be true to us. Let us
celebrate Easter, let us shout "Christ is risen," let us play egg hunting,
Easter bunny and more but let not these things blind us to the call of Easter
to bring peace over chaos, love over hatred, forgiveness over sin and hurt,
faith over doubt, hope over despair, light over darkness, and life over death.
Let our individual life be a radiance of the light of Christ's resurrection.
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