I’m pretty sure we are all aware of the monks who have been walking across America to bear witness and proclaim a message of peace, compassion, and non-violence. They started in Ft. Worth, TX and have walked for 108 days, arriving in Washington, DC this week. Along with their rescue dog, they have been accompanied by a variety of people along the way, and their leader is adorned with badges from dozens of law enforcement departments who have helped them make the trip safely. Countless people have watched their slow journey, while many others have walked with them, at least for a short time. And then there were the people who yelled through megaphones that they needed Jesus, and that they should stop drawing people away from Him. We are two Americas.
We are the America that cheers on ICE as they brutalize immigrants and citizens alike. The America that puts headphones on so we can’t hear the cries of nursing babies as their mothers are kidnapped and incarcerated a thousand miles away. We are the America that defends ICE when they murder peaceful protestors and ignore the Constitution. We are the America that is filled with people who think that English is our official language. We are also the America that is filled with people who have taken their cue from the heroes who hid Jews from the Nazis and helped them escape persecution. We are the America that follows the law and stands against a government that ignores the Constitution. We are the America that provides food and clothing for people too terrified of leaving their homes, even though they are here legally. We are the America that fights against revisionist history. We are two Americas.
We fought a war to be free of a king. We fought a war so that enslaved people could be free as well. We fought a war against the Nazis and other totalitarians who would try to rule the world. We follow a document that gives all of us the right to practice the religion of our choosing and legally own firearms and protest peacefully and report the news honestly. One America wants to end all of that; the other America wants to protect it. One America wants to go back in time; the other wants to move into the future. Which America are you?
Prayer – Holy God, we are grateful for this amazing country, but we pray that we might continue to move towards a more perfect union, providing freedom and liberty for all people. Amen.