No doubt you have been following the
developments on the border where some estimates say as many as 300,000 people
from Central America from have crossed the into U. S. since October 2013.
Currently there are some 50,000+ Central American children illegally entered
into the United States. As you know this has created a crisis due to lack of
resources to house them, feed them and care for them. Most Americans have
compassion for them and yet few Americans want them to be brought to their
town. Since thousands of these aliens are under the age of 18 and have come
without parents and without valid identifications, it is difficult to know what
to do with these poor children who are alone and far from home.
How do we as Christians in America
respond to this overwhelming need?
These aliens are in our nations as a
result of lawlessness. There is the lawlessness of our government for not
enforcing our borders or our immigration laws and the lawlessness of those who
crossed the borders illegally. If we give money and resources to aid the crisis
created by this lawlessness won’t that just going to encourage more
lawlessness?
What IS our responsibility to these
hungry people, mostly kids, who have risked their lives to cross several
countries to come into the United States for the same freedoms and opportunity
that we Americans enjoy? There is evidence that they were lured to our southern
border by implied promises of immunity from our government. Given that, who can
blame them?
We Christians are commanded to
submit to the governmental authority of the nation where we live. But as
lawlessness increases and respect for the law decreases we must stay committed
to the clearly articulated laws we ARE sure of – God’s law as revealed in His
Word.
According to God’s law, here is how
the people of God are called to respond:
“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who
are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you
gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and
you visited me. ’Then the righteous* will
answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty
and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and
clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in
reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of
mine, you did for me.” Matthew
25:34-40
Wesleyan officials are at the border
meeting with Federal, State and Local officials to assess the situation and
ascertain the most appropriate ways to respond. We will be hearing from them
soon and when we do we can decide the best way for us to get involved.