Shorten the Days

Matthew 24:22 – Unless those days are shortened, no one would survive. But for the sake of the few faithful, those days will be shortened.

In this final sentence of Jesus’ advice, Jesus’ promises God’s care and concern for the remnant of God’s faithful. The days of persecution will be shortened so that some will survive. 

How does this passage relate to detained refugees? Who brought on this persecution? Who maintains it? Who will shorten its days? Clearly our government began it. Attorney General Jeff Sessions began separating families in 2018 with the full support of Republican leadership and many Republicans as well. Our current AG continues this policy, even limiting access to the camps. My own senator, Sherrod Brown, was denied access to areas his counterpart, Rob Portman, was not. There is a campaign to deny or minimize the persecution, torture, and horrors of these illegal and immoral camps. As Christians, it is our calling to oppose these camps, resist attempts to deny and minimize the suffering of these refugees.

As for the answer to the last question, only God. Only God can get through to Republicans who call good evil and evil good. Yet, the rest of us have a part to play. We must call out these camps for what they are: illegal, immoral, crimes against humanity. We must remind people that it is not illegal to apply for asylum by crossing the border. There is no other way to apply for asylum. We must remind people that there is no special place refugees need to cross. We must remind people that these refugees have not committed a crime. We must remind people that they are, in fact, refugees rather than immigrants. That distinction is important.

They are innocent and we are immorally and illegally separating their kids from them and, in some cases, deporting them without their children. This is immoral and wrong and we must use whatever voice we have to put pressure on our elected leaders and on our president. Even if we are not successful, we must speak out. Protest, volunteer with groups helping refugees, there are so many ways to help. It may seem hopeless, but as long as we are fighting, as long as we are resisting these policies, we keep hope alive.

As always, we must lament. Feel the sadness and the horror and let that spur us on to work against these crimes against humanity that are being carried out in our name.

B