Sanctuary cities
Much ado in the news about sending migrants to so-called "sanctuary cities". Much of the rhetoric right now is a political ploy to threaten those on the left who support the ideas of protecting human beings from being sent back to where they came from.
Much about our immigration system is broken and I'm not going to get into the politics of this, but I'm thinking very much this morning about the human beings caught up in the middle of this and what that looks like.
For whatever reasons, people come to America looking for a better life. For whatever reasons, there are those in our country who are not wanting people to come here looking for a better life. I try putting myself in the shoes of those wanting for and hoping for a better life. I think of the risks. I think of the guy from Africa I met in a class I took at the Vine Institute in Salt Lake. I grew up poor, but I never had to leave my home with only the clothes on my back and run for my life from the guys with guns who were chasing people. I never had to experience life in a refugee camp. I was blessed to be born and raised here.
People come here in hope of having for themselves what God gave us at birth. I hope that sinks in with you, dear reader, this morning. Part of the blessing God gave you was to be an American. You didn't earn this. You got it because your mom gave birth to you here.
I've seen first hand our own citizens become refugees. I saw folks get off the plane in Salt Lake City from New Orleans. They were put on planes, not knowing where they were going. They got here. Not all of them were happy with getting here. I don't think any of them stayed. I think there's a lesson there in putting people where they don't want to be. I wonder though, if these folks who just want IN would just be happy to be wherever they are put.
And what would the welcome be for these folks? If polling data is correct, about 35% of Americans support the President. That means that roughly for every two that would potentially welcome these migrants, there would be one that wouldn't. Can you imagine risking what you did to make it to America and seeing the ugly come out once you get here? If you can't, maybe you should look at a history book. We don't have a good track record of treating migrants well. We don't have a great track record of treating the REAL Americans well.
I think too, this is gonna create some issues for the "evangelical" people in this country. Our KING, Jesus, had some things to say about how we treat others. God moves people. God's people are supposed to love people. I'm curious to see what that's gonna look like if this rhetoric turns into policy.
Sanctuary cities are a biblical idea, but not in this connotation. The original idea was this: If you caused someone's death accidentally, without malice, you could flee the avenger of the victim's death whose job it was to cause yours, to a sanctuary city, where you'd be protected if you proved your case. You had to run, though, because if the avenger caught up with you before hand, you were gonna probably get dead yourself.
In the American vernacular, what the intent was is to say that if you're here illegally and you're a victim of a crime, you can go to the police without fear of reprisal from the police. The intent was to not allow criminals to victimize the people by threatening to compromise their immigration status. I don't think it was ever envisioned that the cities would become refugee cities.
What happens remains to be seen, and I'm curious to see how things play out.
Much about our immigration system is broken and I'm not going to get into the politics of this, but I'm thinking very much this morning about the human beings caught up in the middle of this and what that looks like.
For whatever reasons, people come to America looking for a better life. For whatever reasons, there are those in our country who are not wanting people to come here looking for a better life. I try putting myself in the shoes of those wanting for and hoping for a better life. I think of the risks. I think of the guy from Africa I met in a class I took at the Vine Institute in Salt Lake. I grew up poor, but I never had to leave my home with only the clothes on my back and run for my life from the guys with guns who were chasing people. I never had to experience life in a refugee camp. I was blessed to be born and raised here.
People come here in hope of having for themselves what God gave us at birth. I hope that sinks in with you, dear reader, this morning. Part of the blessing God gave you was to be an American. You didn't earn this. You got it because your mom gave birth to you here.
I've seen first hand our own citizens become refugees. I saw folks get off the plane in Salt Lake City from New Orleans. They were put on planes, not knowing where they were going. They got here. Not all of them were happy with getting here. I don't think any of them stayed. I think there's a lesson there in putting people where they don't want to be. I wonder though, if these folks who just want IN would just be happy to be wherever they are put.
And what would the welcome be for these folks? If polling data is correct, about 35% of Americans support the President. That means that roughly for every two that would potentially welcome these migrants, there would be one that wouldn't. Can you imagine risking what you did to make it to America and seeing the ugly come out once you get here? If you can't, maybe you should look at a history book. We don't have a good track record of treating migrants well. We don't have a great track record of treating the REAL Americans well.
I think too, this is gonna create some issues for the "evangelical" people in this country. Our KING, Jesus, had some things to say about how we treat others. God moves people. God's people are supposed to love people. I'm curious to see what that's gonna look like if this rhetoric turns into policy.
Sanctuary cities are a biblical idea, but not in this connotation. The original idea was this: If you caused someone's death accidentally, without malice, you could flee the avenger of the victim's death whose job it was to cause yours, to a sanctuary city, where you'd be protected if you proved your case. You had to run, though, because if the avenger caught up with you before hand, you were gonna probably get dead yourself.
In the American vernacular, what the intent was is to say that if you're here illegally and you're a victim of a crime, you can go to the police without fear of reprisal from the police. The intent was to not allow criminals to victimize the people by threatening to compromise their immigration status. I don't think it was ever envisioned that the cities would become refugee cities.
What happens remains to be seen, and I'm curious to see how things play out.
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