Pastoral Letter from the House of Bishops on Immigration

Today I finally had a moment to read the Pastoral Letter from The Episcopal Church House of Bishops on immigration (Link). I am delighted to see a distinct move to the political center. While I have always agreed with our leadership in their defense of immigrants’ fundamental Human Rights. I have also been critical of the tendency to ignore the legitimate fears of border county residence. We must live daily with the threat posed by the growing reality of drug smuggling and other "professional criminal" enterprises. They make a few points that I would like to quote:

(3) We call on the government of the United States and all governments to create fair and humane immigration policies that honor the dignity of people on all sides of this issue. In the United States, we seek a reasonable path to citizenship for undocumented workers; a plan to reunite families; and a viable system for receiving temporary or seasonal guest-workers, with clearly identified points of entry. These measures would free the United States border patrol to concentrate its efforts on the apprehension of drug traffickers, terrorists, and other criminals, and not on ordinary people who are simply seeking a better life for themselves and their children.

(4) We acknowledge the duty of governments to protect their people, including the securing of borders. The church has always respected this duty, which is grounded in government's God given duty to protect innocent people and punish wrongdoers (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17).

Please note in the highlighted portions, they support government’s responsibility to protect its citizens from crime and that drug trafficking and terrorist entry to our country is recognized as a real issue. Also, let me give one illustration to the "other criminals" mentioned. In Cochise County the Border Patrol has apprehended numerous "known sex offenders" seeking to reenter the Country.

This is the first time I have seen our leadership recognize these issues and want to laud and praise them right now: THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD JOB!

Finally, if you have read my first post on these issues you may recognize that I am in full agreement with the establishment of accessible worker visas and related programs. These kinds of programs not only respond positively to those immigrants who simply seek opportunity, it also responds to the obvious needs of the many industries that employ these immigrants. Further, as our bishops noted, it frees law enforcement resources to focus on the more dangerous criminals crisscrossing our border with Mexico.

Homily for Proper 22 C - October 3, 2010

My sisters and brothers, it seems strange but the old saying of the physical fitness crowd really does apply to both our faith lives and our bodies: “use it or lose it!”

Christian tradition has taken our reading from Habakkuk as the prophet's complaint against the internal evils of Judah. The language used here is the same employed by Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah to condemn the social abuses of their day. In Habakkuk the Lord answers this complaint by suggesting the Chaldean empire will be His instrument for punishing his people for these pervasive social sins. The individuals who have remained loyal to the Lord are given the encouragement: wait and watch of the LORD. Even if God seems to delay, wait, for God will surely arrive at the appointed time. These verses have been so powerful through the ages that they are used in the Antiphons of evening prayer for the last week of Advent.

The author of 2nd Timothy encourages Church leaders to accept whatever hardship may come their way because of the faith. By holding fast to sound doctrine and to Jesus himself, they will experience true salvation. And, they will lead others to salvation through good example and sound teaching. In particular, the author is concerned about an apparent loss of “a spirit of power, love, and ethical behavior.” The author sees it as going dormant through neglect - not that God has not withdrawn it. Therefor the leaders are to rekindle the gift!

In our short snippet of Luke’s Gospel, exaggeration is used to dramatize Jesus response to the request for greater faith. Rather than ask for greater faith the Apostles should focus on being valuable servants of God’s Kingdom. That is to say: cooperate with God’s grace (guidance) and you will see your relationship with God grow. Part of the point Jesus is making here is that the quality of faith matters more than quantity. The other part of the message is that faith must be lived not just felt.

This nice, old Jewish man really wanted too win the lottery. So, one week, he goes to the synagogue and he says “Lord of heaven and earth, imagine how much good I could do with the money I would win if I won the lottery! Imagine how much charity I could give! Help me win the lottery and I will spend the money wisely!"

That weekend when the winning numbers are drawn, he doesn’t win.

The next week, he goes to the synagogue again and says, "Oh, Lord of heaven and earth, you must not have heard me last Week! Imagine how many lives I could make easier with the money from the lottery! Help me win the lottery!" Again, he doesn't win. The third week, he goes to the synagogue again and prays in a similar vein.

Suddenly, he hears a voice from the heavens: "Help me, my son."

He says, "Lord of heaven and earth, what can I do to help you?"

"Buy a ticket!"

Faith is also not about trusting God as you sit and wait for something to happen. Faith is about doing what you believe - living your faith/trust in God in the choices and actions of everyday life. It is not simply a gift that God bestows on us, and we do not get stronger faith by asking for it. As Jesus makes clear in his parable, its about exercising the faith God has already given you. Like many other faculties of our human existence: mussels, mental acuity, etc., if you do not use it you will lose it. Exercising our faith is about doing the work of God’s Kingdom. Getting involved and being a valuable servant of God. We can’t expect to grow in faith (or any part of our relationship with God) if we don’t cooperate with God’s grace. Let us all roll up our sleeves and get to work!