Even though we have passed everyone's common question about the Lord's Prayer, this weekend we are getting to every youth parent's favorite topic of conversation: temptation.
Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth in my former life when I worked with preteens and teenagers, it was extremely common for their guardians to ask me to teach them about temptation and how to avoid it. The problem was that they wanted me to teach them what they thought about the topic - not what Jesus or scripture actually said about it. They just wanted their kids to avoid sex, drugs and rock'n'roll (or whatever they deemed not "good" for them).
The honest truth is that all of us face temptation every day. But it is not the kind that we think about as parents.
Instead, it is the kind that is far more insidious, sneaky, and dangerous.
We are tempted to turn our back on who Christ is calling us to be.
Who is that, you ask?
Someone who loves everyone. Openly. Actively. Tangibly. Uncomfortably. In ways that will make the world extremely upset quite often when we are doing it right.
This week has been a difficult one for me. But not for the reasons you may be thinking.
During one of my first weeks here, I was truly blessed to hear local historian David Varela speak at one of our after-church luncheons on the history of the border experience here in El Paso. It was eye-opening, to say the least, to learn of quite how harmful the practices surrounding the treatment of immigrants have been at our nation's border over the decades. What was more, it was horrifying to learn that we, as a nation, were directly responsible for teaching the Third Reich how to create the conditions to make gas chambers.
What I was incredibly proud of, however, was the courage of this congregation to engage in such profound learning and truth telling. To embrace and consider the reality of how entrenched the racism surrounding immigrants has been and continues to be.
Fast forward to this week when an absurd rumor promulgated by political candidates has turned into an overpowering meme sweeping the nation. Even I have been guilty of partaking in the meme. The problem is this: the rumor behind it is an incredibly racist one about a group of immigrants from the country of Haiti. And every time we continue the joke, we add to the hurt.
Lesser known fact: I have between six and ten great nieces and nephews (I can't keep track) - thanks to the longevity and prolific nature of my dad's family (he had seven children from two previous marriages before he and my mom got married when I was twelve).
Among the neices and nephews who have married into my rather large family is a wonderful young man with skin the color of umber who was born in the country of Haiti. He and my niece have given me two of the cutest greats that you could possibly imagine.
Imagine my own family's heartbreak this week in the midst of the media storm. My point being: you never know who your words are hurting and boy did these words start to sting.
The honest truth is that as followers of Christ, some jokes just should not be acceptable. We are called to welcome the stranger and the refugee and the immigrant because Jesus was once a refugee and immigrant in Egypt. We are called to stand with them and serve them. To not accept denigrating and belittling behavior of them.
Because, as our Lord has said, when we do it unto the least of these who are members of his kingdom, we do it to him.
May we all do better than to give into such temptation.
Blessings,
Rev. Janie
Artwork: "Born a Refugee" by Lisle Gwynn Garrity of A Sanctified Art, LLC
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