When I was 24, I began the first draft of my ordination papers with the comment that the clergy are called to a three-fold witness; as pastor, priest, and prophet. I can’t recall where I got the language, but being a fan of alliteration, I was drawn to it immediately. I still maintain this three-part perspective and have worked hard at keeping them in balance. What I have seen in many other clergy is this: it is easy to do the priestly role (worship is the main part of that), and we are usually good at the pastoral part of it (hospital visits, for example). What most of us struggle with, however, is the prophetic role (speaking truth to power). Why? Because we are worried about being accused of being political. The bad (or good) news is that we can’t be pastors without addressing politics from a moral lens; Jesus did it all the time. The trick is maintaining neutrality; we cannot ever be partisan.
I read recently about Archbishop Thomas Wenski, the prelate who has jurisdiction over Miami and its surrounding areas. He has been at odds with Governor DeSantis for at least two years; Wenski recently criticized a Florida bill (which is supported by the governor) that would, among other things, make it a crime to give aid and transportation to any undocumented immigrant for any reason. If you were driving and saw someone injured by the side of the road, you theoretically have to first check their immigration status before helping them (remind anyone of a certain Samaritan Jesus spoke of?) Over a year ago, the archbishop challenged the governor’s approach to Florida’s serious and very real concerns over immigration by comparing today’s asylum seekers with that of Cubans in the 1960’s. These words split that Cuban community in that area and has been roiling ever since.
The archbishop is not saying that there should be no checks on immigration, nor is he saying that we should have open borders. What he is saying – what many of us have been saying – is that anyone claiming to be a Christian/follower of Jesus (which DeSantis says he is) cannot treat immigrants with anger, hatred, and disdain (like calling Mexicans “animals”, for example). And here’s a quick reminder – Jesus and His parents were illegal/undocumented when they fled to Egypt. His parents left their homeland because they were afraid that King Herod would kill their son, which has become a familiar story at our borders. No person – should I repeat that? No person claiming to be a follower of Jesus can mistreat an undocumented person (or any person, for that matter). And to be clear – every immigrant should be vetted. Open borders are a danger to our security. Human trafficking is real and should be stopped every time. How we treat innocent victims of violence and oppression, however, defines who we truly are.
Archbishop Wenski is using his prophet role as a servant of Jesus to remind the governor and Florida’s state assembly that while they cannot legislate in favor of Christians, they must remember to serve as if they were caring for Jesus. How we treat the least among us – which undocumented workers are – is how we treat Jesus (read Matthew 25, if you don’t believe me). And if the governor and others who mistreat immigrants want to do that, they will do so in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus. Good luck with that. Remember what happened to the goats in Matthew 25.
Prayer – God, help us to balance our own needs for security with the need to be empathetic and just. And help us to remember that following Jesus isn’t always an easy choice. Help us to choose wisely. Amen.
Today’s art is “Flight into Egypt” by John August Swanson and an untitled work about undocumented workers.