Woe - An Expression of Lament

Matthew 24:19 - "Woe to those women who are pregnant or nursing in those days."

Woe to those who are pregnant or nursing in those days, for the US government will surely separate you from your children without mercy. Whether you’re just crossing the border or have been here for decades. 

That is how my mind finishes that sentence. In previous verses, Jesus warned his listeners to not look back or to try to grab precious items or clothes. There’s no time. So it is with the people crossing our southern border. Refugees are the most vulnerable people in the world. They fled the violence with very little to show for it. Having just walked the length of Mexico, they are vulnerable to exhaustion, heat stroke, disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing are even more vulnerable. Jesus laments for them – he knows what we human beings are capable of. And yet, it is “Christians” who defend the border camps and the raids; the terrorism.

I, too, lament. It is a time for lament. A time for us to reflect honestly on how we feel about our country and its actions. If we disagree, and we should, what are we doing about it? Are we speaking up? Are we protesting? Do we call our congresspeople? Our senators? Do we hope others will take care of it? Or do we go about our lives? It is so easy to give in to the feeling of powerlessness at such times. But, if you’re reading this, God is calling you to use the power you have on behalf of those who have little or none. One easy thing to do, if you can afford it, is to donate to RAICES. RAICES uses bond money to get people out of custody faster. That is great.

Of course, it’s only a first step. The camps are illegal, immoral, and unsustainable. We must work to close them all down. In whatever way occurs to you. We can disagree about border policy, but caging people like animals is never okay. Never. Yes, this means we should work to end the brutality of prisons as well.

Lament. Take time to feel the sadness, the sorrow, the horror. Then, work to end the illegal and immoral detention of so many innocent people. It’s what Jesus would do.