Walls and Razor Wire are Never the Answer

I’m a mystic. That is a defining characteristic of my life and personality. That means I believe there is inner knowledge that is as valuable as outer knowledge. Outer knowledge is very important – I wouldn’t read as much as I do or even write this blog if I thought otherwise. But it’s extremely important to see the Christ inside all of us. That include your neighbors of course, but don’t forget it also includes you. Christ is inside of you, not inside your national identity, political affiliation or denomination.

Outer identification is so tempting. We want to define ourselves and others based on what we see. What do we possess? What have we conquered? What can we control? Outer self-identification leads to a shallow self-identity. A shallow self-identity must be violently defended because it has no basis for support. It is an illusion. You are not what you possess, what you conquer or what you control. Your existence is far beyond the mere physical properties you can see.

Part of this violent defense of an outwardly facing self-identity is a war to erect razor wire around your own ego. We all fall prey to this illusion of identity that we somehow became ourselves, built ourselves, all by ourselves. Pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps is one of our favorite national myths. Why can’t we see that people in other countries can’t even afford boots to pull? When you only identify with these outward appearances – and no matter how physical these characteristics are, they are only appearances – you must justify those differences. It feels like your very purpose and being depend on justifying those differences. The natural next step is to demonize the differences you see in others.

How much worse is it when outward identity becomes acculturated into our national identity?

And so, we come to Texas and razor wire and orders to push pregnant women and children seeking asylum into a river in the middle of January. I wish Greg Abbott and his friends could see that our identity is not outside, nor is it something we’ve created. We cannot be blamed or praised for where we were born or many of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. We are held and sustained solely in God’s loving grace. When you see that, you cannot help but also see that on the other side of the river and the razor wire is just another part of our own self sustained in that same grace. Do not drown the image of God.

Here are some Christian approaches to immigration I would prefer to overheated rhetoric and razor wire.

• Recognize that we are all children of God regardless of our outward identities. No one escapes this difficult recognition because it includes immigrants, and it also includes Greg Abbott.
• In our humanity, we share so much more than we realize. Challenge yourself to relate to the fears and hopes that would drive a young family to risk everything to cross the border.
• Correct others when they resort to incorrect stereotypes about immigrants. There are no “aliens,’ in God’s kingdom. The USA was built on the hard work and determination of immigrants, the kind of ethic that would drive a young mother to risk drowning for a better life.
• Take special care to guard against the harmful myth that immigrants are criminals. Often, immigrants are escaping from the criminality around them. Data repeatedly shows that immigrants tend to be law-abiding citizens. Research evidence points to them committing fewer crimes, on average, than native-born residents. Cities with vibrant immigrant communities regularly exhibit lower crime rates than those with less diversity. This suggests that immigration enhances, rather than undermines, public safety.
• Educate yourself about the harsh reality of our own policies. We have allowed illegal military-grade weapons to be sold to Mexican drug cartels because many in our government are in the pockets of weapons manufacturers. This further destabilizes Mexico, driving even more asylum seekers. We have the better end of this situation. We get some great people they get some terrible weapons.

Finally, as disciples we must stand up for justice at the border. Jesus requires us to welcome strangers in Matthew 25:35: “… for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…” As Christians, we are absolutely allowed to argue about how we welcome them, but we cannot ignore the welcome part. What we do once they’re here can include a lot of options – including paths to legal immigration as well as safe deportation — but it cannot include razor wire or forced child separation.