…26If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. 27Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James 1:27-26
These past couple of weeks I have been filled with sorrow watching the videos of thousands of children trying to get into the United States from the violent drug cartel countries of Central America. What is really heartbreaking to me was seeing this large warehouse in Arizona where many of these kids are being housed until the Immigration department decides what to do with them. The children coming to us are coming because they have no choice. They want to be loved just like our American children.
What is even more heartbreaking are the anti-immigration propaganda from the far right wing websites that is causing our American hearts to grow cold and callous. Have we forgotten as Christians that God calls us to care for the orphans and those who cannot defend themselves? America, it seems, would rather throw money at these corrupt, drug infected countries without ever knowing how the money is being spent. Wake up. The money is not going to where it is suppose to go. The children at our doorsteps are proof of that.
In one news report the camera panned the entire the warehouse showing children sleeping under plastic. They claimed they couldn't find blankets for these kids! Really?The camera zoomed in one child who I swear looked like she was crying. My heart broke at that point because I knew that what most of these kids want nothing more than to be held and loved by parents. Many of these kids risked life and limb ( many didn't survive the journey) to at least have the opportunity to experience life in American like our own children.
Several years ago Unicef, the branch of the United Nations began a propaganda effort to shut down international adoptions and in the last 8 years adoption of Central American children had become non existent. American families who had completed their home studies were now being told they could not complete their adoptions. As I look at the disparate pleas on the faces of these children coming over the border my mind drifts back to this ill fated effort done by UNICEF. that is partly responsible for the crisis with thousands of children sleeping alone in a large Arizona warehouse and guarded by people who's hearts have been hardened by right wing anti-immigration websites.
If I had my way I would like attention turned to some of our American adoption agencies like WACAP, international, Holt international, and 100's more because I think these organizations could help the immigration department by finding forever American families for all of these kids coming a cross the border. We do not need the United states policy makers deciding that these kids do not qualify for immigration status and send them back home to their drug war lead governments where their chance for survival declines exponentially with each passing day.
If we are truly a Christian nation we need to listen to the voice of the Lord telling us to take care the orphan children. We are at a defining moment. This may be God testing this nation. What will we do with these children? Will we find away to find forever families through adoption or will we will turn a blind eye, tell them they are not welcomed and send them home to an almost certain death?
No comments:
Post a Comment