The Church is neither the master of the state nor its servant but is called to be the conscience of the state. That’s the fundamental truth of which MLK, Jr. reminded us. We must act as its guide and its critic, but never its tool. If we fail to recapture our prophetic zeal, we risk becoming little more than an irrelevant social club—a group with no moral authority and no spiritual fire.
True patriotism isn’t found in the size of your flag. It is found in the courageous act of loving our country enough to demand better of it. Real devotion to our neighbors means educating every child, caring for the vulnerable, restoring the earth, and actively righting our historical wrongs.
This brings us to a difficult but necessary conversation regarding our faith and the current systems of immigration enforcement, such as ICE. We must be honest with ourselves: Christianity and the machinery of exclusion do not mix. If we find ourselves defending policies of raids, detentions, the separation of families, even death, we have to ask: Who is leading us? Is it the Gospel, or has our politics taken the driver’s seat while our faith is stuffed in the trunk?
Everything we know about the Jesus we claim to follow—the one who commanded us to “love your neighbor” and “welcome the stranger”—stands in stark contrast to the brutality of cages and systemic abuse.
Some argue, “But they broke the law.” To that, we must ask: What would Jesus do? Does the Christ we follow respond to human mistakes or legal infractions with brutality?
We must remember that legality is not a synonym for morality:
- It was illegal to hide Jewish families during the Holocaust.
- It was illegal to harbor enslaved people seeking freedom.
- In those times, the “criminals” were the ones doing God’s work.
God’s vision of justice operates on a higher plane. We answer first to the laws of love, compassion, and human dignity. We cannot serve the Prince of Peace while upholding systems of fear. Let us choose, on this day, whom we will serve.
Shalom, Paul