29 April 2016

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My friend and No Anglican Covenant Coalition colleague June recently posted this part of Leviticus on Facebook.
"When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 19:33-34)

That made me recall similar verses especially this.
for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. 8 Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered Isaiah 65:7-8

So where do we go from here? The easy thing for a liberal, progressive, democrat (moi) is to point out how far God is from the "wall" and the immigration policies various GOP candidates espouse. In fact, it is too easy.
http://www.wrhammons.com/IL14_113.jpg Yes, Mr. Trump's slander of Mexicans, his Islamophobia, his anti-immigrant stand generally, is an easy, and appropriate target. Most of the national voices in the Republican party are not far from Mr. Trump. So, easy targets.

But ask yourself, how do we alleged progressives have to boast about. It is democrats who run the ghetto cities, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Los Angeles, Washington, and especially New York. It is so-called progressives who are mayors in most of these cities. Those cities are a major part of the democrat's vote totals in general elections.

In plain language none of us pink white people, none of us, "natives" should preen. We all live in a world where the alien is either excluded, INS works for us, or is exploited, or both. Most of of the fast food chains, where let's be honest, we all eat from time to time, rely on undocumented aliens for back of of the house labor. Living on the run, the undocumented never have time to claim the benefits they earn. Guess who keeps the money!

Very little has changed since Woody wrote this. Shame America, we can do better.

4 comments:

June Butler said...

Good post, Jim. I don't read the bible to learn what God wants other people to do, only to learn what I should do and what to advocate for or against what is done in my name.

JimB said...

June, thanks.

I think I know you do not read what a priest I know calls, "have I got a verse for you theology." Neither do I. But reading these verses makes me think all of us have to ask what is meant by walking humbly, seeking justice.

Leonard said...

As a "white" alien, or better, extranero, residing in a foreign land...I must share with you that although native people in my village (almost all except three of us) have heard of the racism of Donald Trump, I am treated with respect and even hospitality...this is a very Roman Catholic pueblo...I am at home. Best to all, Len/Leonardo (at the foot of the Fuego Volcano, Sacatepequez, Guatemala)

JimB said...

Leonardo,

I suppose my outcry is aimed at Americans.

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