Immigration, Christianity, the Media and You

This morning my wife and I got into, how shall I say it, a lively conversation about how illegal immigrants seeking political asylum are being handled and processed when apprehended at the U.S. border, and specifically, the inhumane conditions and treatments that we see from the recent barrage of mass media photos and videos.  It may be applicable to note for those who don't know us that she's Mexican and I'm a Gringo.

My Facebook friends can't be more diametrically opposed on this issue.  Here are some quotes from my recent Facebook newsfeeds.  They're from the Left and Right and most are professing Christians.

• No one wants to hear it but, 1) It has been going on for YEARS 2) No children are being harmed or treated inhumanely.
• It is pure hype and hysteria.
• The propaganda machine purposely works you into a fevered pitch...#ConjuredCrises
• This is a question of Trump and his Cabinet choosing to enforce some laws over others and Biden choosing not to enforce some laws over others.
• "Illegal alien" That term came from one not entering our country in a lawful way. We elect a President to enforce our laws and he takes an oath to do so.
• There are currently 765,000 children separated from their active-duty military parents.
• Separating children from their parents is against the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (signed in 1995 by the U.S.)  It says that: "a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will."
• If you don't want your family "split up", don't enter the United States illegally.
• While I did vote for President Obama, the truth is these camps were under him as well, how do I know? They had a few in San Antonio. I knew people who worked there in 2014. There was a new law about separating under President Trump that is horrible and inhumane and making things a lot harder for these families now.  Both administrations are wrong.

So my wife left for work and left me to ponder how two God-fearing, intelligent, compassionate individuals who love each other are now passionately discussing (code for hotly debating while rolling eyes and shaking heads) our individual point of view when in reality our reasons are the same.  No one wants children to be abused. Period.  So then what's the conflict?

Now that's the question that needs to be answered.  What is the conflict?  Is it really just an issue of child protection?  No it's not.  We have to first untangle the mess and knots surrounding this issue to get a grasp of the fundamental issues surrounding this crisis that are dividing and conquering the parties that be.

Here is the tangled mess as I see it:
1.  A biased media with individual political agendas so our news sources can't be trusted to report unbiased facts.

2.  A public that, in general, gets their news from Facebook feeds and FB friends that think the same way they do.

3.  A public that, in general, think if they complain on a FB post and forward a few memes they have done something to fix the problem.

4.  An American political system that has become so polarized with fundamental differences that a common ground seems impossible, it leaves no room for compromise, so it's not even attempted.

5. A Christian public that has forgotten "that we wrestle not against flesh and blood" (Eph 6:12) and that this is a spiritual battle, not won on the Facebook field but on our knees in prayer and then getting up off the floor and actively loving and being the change this nation needs if it is to survive.

6.  A Christian public, because they have forgotten it is a spiritual battle, have demonized, devalued and distorted the opposing viewpoints of the people they've been called to love and call them "unintelligent, heartless, bleeding-heart, bigots, racist, Rightwinger, narrow-minded, etc..." to justify their animosity.

7.  A Christian public that has forgotten that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God" (1 Cor 3:19), and that "Satan is the god of this current world system" (2 Cor 4:4).   As a consequence, there are many Christians thinking and acting out with ungodly, anti-Christ, worldly philosophies.  Rather than being the solution, they are a major part of the problem.  

That takes me back to this morning's conversation with my wife.  Why were we arguing? She's passionate about protecting children and it's not that I'm not, I have more of a distrust of media and don't want to be manipulated by it so when I see and hear the same news she does, I'm more skeptical so my response is more reserved.  I'm much less liable to jump on the bandwagon.  I refuse to let mainstream media drive my agenda. But the problem with that is I am prone to not do anything.  And that's a problem.  There is so much unfairness and human suffering going on around the world that I can become desensitized to it and that can come across as heartless.  It's not that I don't care, it's that my heart isn't strong enough to care enough.  It's like my cup is full and when that next GoFundMe story of a child who needs an organ transplant or elderly person being evicted from their home, or of a young woman violently beaten by her baby's father and the pain and suffering of very real people unknown to me starts to seep in, the ground of my heart is already saturated and full, so it just flows over and passes me, maybe someone else has the room to hold it. 

The refugee crisis is similar to the homeless problem here in Austin.  When there is a homeless person with a sign on almost every corner you stop at, it's very impracticable to give to every one,  so I only rarely give from my car.  Is that heartless?  Perhaps.  It doesn't mean I don't care, I don't think it does, but to the homeless guy, I'm probably heartless.  I mow the yard of my neighbor who is elderly and blind.  There are other things I do to give and express love for my neighbor, the one in need.  The point is, I  don't have the ability and resources to jump on every hot issue and lead the charge.  Nor will I blow up Facebook everytime I hear of an atrocity against mankind.  To be effective I must be focused. We all have that FB friend who is leading the FB brigade every time there's a mainstream meltdown.  After a while, they get the 30-day FB snooze from me. I love um' but I don't have the bandwidth to respond to every heart-rendering, tear-jerking crisis.  So I limit my intake.  If I have $1,000 to donate, I'd rather give $500 to two organizations than give $2 to 500 organizations.    A light bulb lights up a small room, but a laser beam can cut through a steel plate.

So then our conversation turned to the topic of solutions.  It seems in the current world, dominated by social media with King Facebook and Queen Twitter and Princes Instagram and Snapchat, doing something means ranting a post and rifling off a few memes and waiting for responses to drop from the digital sky.   Isn't that how the Cowboys did it in the Wild West?  Walk out from the town saloon and into a dusty street and hoop and holler and fire their 6-shooters into the air?  Make a big noise, turn some heads, get whatever was in their system out, and then move on.  But it didn't fix a thing.  If we're passionate about an issue then do something about it!  (It's so hard for me not to all cap a few of these sentences.  But I'm trying to appear level-headed.)  On the specific issue of the government handling of detained minors, what can you do to really affect change?  The best use of your time and money is to partner with an organization that is already involved and whose mission and purpose resonates with your values and convictions.

Here are a few organizations that specifically work with asylum seekers along the Texas-Mexico border. (This list does not imply I recommend the organization. You'll have to do your own research.)

• Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project works to prevent the deportation of asylum-seeking families fleeing violence. The group accepts donations and asks people to sign up for volunteer opportunities here.
• South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project is providing free legal services to asylum seekers detained in South Texas.
• Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley shelters immigrants who've recently been released from U.S. Border Patrol custody.
• The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is looking for more child advocates to visit the immigrant kids inside the detention centers weekly and accompany them to immigration proceedings.
• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is raising money to provide immigrant children "immediate shelter and beds, medical services, counseling and therapy to help them deal with the trauma of family separation."

To read the entire article and get the complete list of organizations that are mobilizing to help immigrant children click here.

So let's get practical now,

• Refuse to get sucked into the "you're evil or stupid if you don't agree with me or as passionate as I am about this issue" attitudes that are ripping the heart out of America.  Don't let the extreme views on either side of the issue distort the truth.  This is a complex issue with many facets and good-hearted people on both sides are approaching it in their own way and in their own time.  
• Be patient with late adopters and those who see it opposite from you, no matter how black and white you see the issue.  Stop turning them into ignorant monsters.
• Snooze Facebook for a while!  You know you're on it more than is healthy for you and those you love.  We'll all still be here when you get back.  
• Be intentional about where you get your news.  You're being manipulated if the only place you get your news is from within FB.  FB has your profile figured out and feeds you what FB thinks you want to know.  (I've included a media bias chart below to help)
• Do something.  Funnel that angst into constructive and positive change by putting the phone down and signing up to volunteer with an organization that is really doing something.  If you can't volunteer, then send them your money.  Better yet, think local.  Even if it's not about refugees your city and neighborhood need you.  
• For the Christian, re-evaluate your thinking and measure your thoughts and attitudes against the Word of God.  If you want the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16) on these issues then you'll need to actively ask the Holy Spirit to renew and transform your way of thinking to His way of thinking (Rom 12:2).  If you don't know the difference you've got a worldly mindset.

I think the Apostle Paul's instructions to the persecuted believers in Rome are very applicable to us today and our situation.  Read slowly and deliberately the following passage in Romans.  The guidance he gives them we would do well to heed to ourselves.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  

10  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.  

11  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  

12  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  

13  Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  

14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  

15  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  

16  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.  

17  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  

Romans 12:9-17