Open Letter to Political Leaders Who Claim Christianity
This is about who you are, at the core of your being, played on an international stage.
Your choice to separate families (who are brown and undocumented and speak another language) and traumatize their children will not meet the deeper perceived need you have in your self.
Whatever limited power you have over your household,
whatever impotence you feel in your work,
whatever dissatisfaction and disappointment your life experiences have brought you,
I assure you that this momentary justification of legal policy will not only be brief but will ultimately leave you empty.
It will not fill your hollow spaces.
It will not mollify your need to obey.
It will not placate the power hungry sin-filled human soul you carry with you.
It will rob you of the gifts God has so willingly given us to bestow on each other – grace, mercy, patience, joy, goodness, kindness. It will leave your soul barren.
I know it is easier to believe in rigid rights and wrongs. I know it is easier to align yourself with “the law” because then by your measuring stick you are okay – maybe even good, maybe even successful. This is the wrong measuring stick, the wrong narrative. Throw it away. Cast it into the proverbial fire.
I implore you to remember that we will all be held accountable at the end of days – even those of us who enter those “pearly gates” – we will be called into account for all we have, and have not, done in accordance with the law of love.
What do you imagine the Lord of the Universe will say to you?
Do not fear your re-election bid.
Do you fear embarrassment or judgment for reversing your course.
Do not even fear the rejection of man.
Fear the Creator of the Universe and His laws you have so flagrantly broken, His words you have so publicly used as an act of sacrilege against His people.
He will not be mocked. Be warned.
“…‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”
-Jesus, the Messiah, Son of God
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
-Jesus, the Messiah, Son of God
“12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
-James, the brother of Jesus
“8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
-Paul, follower and friend of Jesus