Tonight I have nothing to write about.
Yesterday I worked in the garden replanting flowers.
And being reminded that sunscreen and a hat are a must.
This evening I went for a walk with our dog.
Dark blue of the early summer night sky.
Bright crescent moon. Planet shining just above the horizon.
Spring peepers singing together in the pond.
Oblivious to our passing by listening to their chorus.
I had plenty of food to eat today.
I took a nap.
I turned on the air conditioning when the afternoon heat began to push its way into our house.
I remembered my father.
And, talked with my sons.
And, everything to write about.
On my walk this evening I found myself thinking about the quote by Bob Pierce, founder of the World Vision, who said, “Let my heart be broken by those things which break the heart of God.” My heart is broken and yours should be as well by the immigration crisis in our country.
Children being taken from their parents.
Families torn apart.
Mothers deported.
Children left behind. Warehoused. Sleeping in cages.
Jeff Sessions quoting a verse from the Bible to justify the action.
One verse out of how many while conveniently ignoring so many others and the long arc of the Biblical witness.
Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Love God and your neighbor as yourself.
Whatever you do to one of the least of these.
I could go on.
Proof texting a verse used a century or more ago to support slavery.
And, more recently to support white supremacy.
Did he not know?
Did he think others would not know or notice?
Did he not care or think we would not care?
Or, did he know?
And was, in a not so subtle way, sending a message?
Regardless, families are being torn apart.
Parents and children are being traumatized.
We are doing to them what we would never want done to our families.
In any situation or circumstance.
Yes, it is an immigration issue and a political issue, but it is also a moral issue.
There is more which breaks my heart.
And, your heart.
And, God’s heart.
It fills the news and sells the papers.
Welcoming people in worship this morning I said, as I often do, that I hoped that in some way they had a sense of God with them and among us. Yes, that was and is my wish, but maybe I was being foolish.
Here we were safe and sound.
Beautiful church.
Quaint village.
God, instead, was on our southern border and wandering around in refugee camps and on the streets of Nicaragua and in the home of a family who lost a loved on the the opioid crisis and…
Maybe looking for God we were looking in the wrong place.
Tonight I have nothing to write about.
And, everything to write about.
John G Flynn says
June 18, 2018 at 6:18 pmWe have been to Nicaragua & have seen “First Hand” the desolation,poverty & of course the tourism side. As someone who was born in a thatched roof home with a dirt floor …. I can feel & understand their plight … BUT… we who have so much … just a glass of clean water .. must reach out & Help as Our Lord asked us to do… I remember what
Rev Billy Graham said “ God Loves You”
Kate Paletta says
June 19, 2018 at 8:58 amThank you for this Paul and like you said I have nothing to write about but so much to write about. 😞 so sad what is happening!!