Folks at a Methodist church in California have set up a nativity scene with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus in cages.
The tableau is a comment on the US border patrol allegedly separating immigrant family members and keeping the people in cages. The self righteous left wingers are using it as a propaganda point while the self righteous right wingers point out that far more people were detained, confined and deported under the Obama’s regime than Trump’s.
Forgive me if I yawn…not at the plight of the immigrants, but at people politicizing the Christmas story.
Compassion and Common Sense
I’m a Catholic priest, and the teaching of our church on the immigrant problem is clear, compassionate and full of common sense. It says we should welcome and assist refugees and immigrants as our brothers and sisters knowing that what we do (or don’t do) for them we do unto Christ.
It also says countries have a right to defend their own borders and protect their citizens. These two necessities call for compassion to be balanced with common sense and for proper immigration procedures to be put in place that both protect citizens, define borders AND welcome legally those who need asylum, refuge and a better life.