AND GOD’S PEOPLE REMAINED SILENT.

Lucretia sat down and wrote out this thought late in 2018, She felt strongly that the quiet voices of churches in the New Braunfels area needed to hear what the Spirit had led her to write. Of all the churches who received a letter with this included, only 3 responded in any way. This pattern is being seen in many areas with churches not feeling compelled to take a stand against injustice. We are still hoping to see results from the contacts made with this letter and as a result of actions taken by the few who are involved from this area.

Where were we when the Indians were being killed and their lands being stolen?

AND GOD’S PEOPLE REMAINED SILENT.

Where were we when slaves were brought to the United States, sold, families separated and were mistreated in unimaginable ways?

AND GOD’S PEOPLE REMAINED SILENT.

Where were we when Irish Catholics were refused jobs, asked to leave our country, and discriminated against?

AND GOD’S PEOPLE REMAINED SILENT.

Where were we during the Holocaust when many families were separated and millions of people were murdered?

AND GOD’S PEOPLE REMAINED SILENT.

Where were we during World War II when Japanese families were separated, their goods and houses stolen and they were interred in prison camps?

AND GOD’S PEOPLE REMAINED SILENT.

Where were we during the civil rights movement when people were imprisoned, injured and killed because they wanted to peacefully point out the discrimination of our nation?

Dear God, are you giving us another chance to show that we are Your people? We thank you that we are one of the richest nations in the world. We have more than enough. Our storage units which are larger and safer from the elements than the houses of these immigrants are filled with our overflow. Help us to be generous. Forgive us for separating families, putting children in cages, discriminating out of fear, ignoring pleas for asylum from those in fear of death and allowing deaths to happen when we don’t speak out. Help us to live so you will say to us as is in Matthew 25, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come...take your inheritance...For I was a stranger and you invited me in.’” Help us to seek and do Your will.

In Jesus Holy name, Amen.

WILL GOD’S PEOPLE AGAIN REMAIN SILENT?

Know Your Rights in Solms

We knew that we needed to share the information we were gathering with those around us.  We had prepared a PowerPoint to guide a discussion of KNOW YOUR RIGHTS.  At the same time we had a sheet and some cards to hand out.

We invited a group of our neighbors to our house to discuss this information to ease their fears and let them know that they were not alone in their circumstances.  Our response was light but it was a good meeting.   With what we now had prepared, we asked our neighbors to invite their friends and family to another session.  This was not productive.  We just could not get our friends to show the level of concern that we were feeling.  Maybe it was that we had not earned enough trust.  Maybe this just didn't seem relevant as long as things seemed to be unchanged.  And most likely, this topic has been protected by silence for so long that it was not one to be discussed at anytime.

We learned of a resource being offered by a state in Mexico to its citizens living in New Braunfels.   We took fliers to the meeting there and invited these families to another KNOW YOUR RIGHTS training at our house.  We had no calls or response.

Because of the stances expressed by their leadership, Lucretia and I went to the three Catholic churches in our town to offer trainings or information to their parishioners.  Again, no response even though we knew that their Archdiosis was calling for awareness about immigrant issues.

We have concluded that we have to let our friends know that we have resources available when needed and that we can offer help when it is asked for.

Protect DACA

Our initial motivation for visiting the Interfaith Welcome Coalition was to learn more about how we could help inform and protect our immigrant families who live near us.  We learned that most of these families had migrated from an area just north of Mexico City.  After getting to know them and their kids we would sometimes learn that a mom or dad was undocumented.  Sometimes both were.  Some who had come across on a work visa had established families here and then not having enough money to renew their green cards they slipped into the culture that survives on the edge of our legal system.

Several families had kids who had been brought across the border as children.  In 2014 with the continued failure of Congress to act on immigration, President Obama made a Presidential Order which declared that for 2 year periods action would be deferred against the status of people who came to the US illegally as children since they often did not have a say in their arrival.  This is referred to as DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.  Kids that we knew had to register their presence with US Customs and Immigration Service, pay a fee, remain in school or hold down a steady job, and pass a background check.  In exchange for registering they were allowed to get a Social Security card and depending on the state they live in a 2 yr. Drivers License.

We supported the DACA system that was established and were appalled when even this was threatened with political blustering in the 2016 race and followed by threats and actions in early 2017.  Still Congress drug its feet in acting to protect these young people who were so important to us.

After hearing about a rally to be held in D.C. in June of 2017, Lucretia modified our vacation plans to include time in the Capitol city at the same time.  We joined thousands of young activists at a rally and march around the Mall and White House.  Until we all stand up for action and listen to others seeking a fair solution we will continue to have hundreds of thousands of young people living in limbo and fear in the only country they can relate to.

A Personal Declaration from The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

Lucretia and I often read books together on trips or just taking turns.  One example of this is in the book The FINAL SUMMIT by Andy Andrews.  On pages 217-218, we found this text which has a lot of meaning in our lives:

 

Communion

As we were listening to speakers at the No Ban, No Wall protest in Austin we tried to retreat to the shade of a large tree near the middle of the crowd.  It was a very interesting mix of people who had come together to speak with one voice against what was happening in America.  We stood next to a Muslim family and of course, Lucretia introduced herself.  There was some language difficulty but smiles translate in every language.  They were very friendly and we felt that they appreciated being "seen" by us in this large group.  As the speeches rolled on, one of the ladies reached in her bag and brought out a container of snacks including vegetables and small bites of cheese.  As they shared these between themselves they turned and offered some to us.  It made us feel accepted like family and of course we accepted their hospitality.

Lucretia has told of this as an instance of communion with a family that we will not forget.  May we remember to always be as welcoming to others as they were to us.

No Ban, No Wall

As we learned about DACA and Asylum seekers the country was also beset with the trauma of a Presidential order that banned immigration from Muslem countries for those who had already been cleared by U.S. immigration authorities.  These were individuals with previous background checks and families to receive them.  At the same time threats were being made to build a wall on the border with Mexico.

Calls for protest went out to activists across Texas for a protest at the capitol in Austin.  Lucretia and I had thought about going, but to travel to Austin and fight traffic downtown seemed too daunting.  That was before I was awakened during the night with images of what our country would look like if we followed through with banning Muslims and Central Americans because of our fear of them.  I woke up and wrote down my thoughts.

 The reality that we could face the kind of hatred against foreigners that Hitler had stirred up against Jewish people prompted me to suggest that we had to do something!  Lucretia was easily persuaded and we were on our way to protest in Austin.

Once we got to the capitol we met a loose organization of people who were drawn there for the same reasons.  We had to voice our concerns.  Among the crowds were various organizations.  Congressional representatives, local politicians, and people of all colors joined to chant and declare "No Ban, No Walls".  We were appalled at what was being witnessed at airports as passengers were being detained and sent back.  Lawyers spoke of what they say and how many of them stepped up to represent those who needed them.  It was a call to action for all of us.

What might the forced removal of the undocumented look like?

My vision of what forced removal of the undocumented might look like has changed recently. I’ve been hearing more and more about not only this possibility but this reality. I had trouble describing who these “undocumented” are? To me they are kids that I’ve watched growing up. They are the parents or brothers and sisters of these kids. They are people who have blessed me by including me into their community.

Now I see news reports showing wives crying over their husbands being removed from them. I see the fear in the expressions of friends who get texts reporting ICE raids near their homes. I watch as they quickly call to their families to spread the word. I hear of conversations going on at home when a documented mother of 6 kids born in the states explains to them that her paperwork for a renewal is delayed. Now she might face deportation if pulled over for a traffic ticket or broken tail light.

People are getting scared. They cry as they ask for assurance that things will be OK. But what can we say to them? They hear __ “Get ‘em outta here!” Don’t worry. We are only talking about the “bad” ones. But the lines become less clear as I hear about undocumented families from Central America being detained for over a year in facilities that resemble the camps for Japanese internment during WWII. Yes, and I heard about the MS13 gangs being arrested. These becomes the faces of “undocumented” that gets seen instead of those I know.

Ok, I missed that description before. “undocumented” equals “criminal aliens”. That is how it is framed. That is how it begins. History is being repeated. How was it different in 1940 when people began using labels for displaced Jews or Gypsies who didn’t fit in to Christian Germany. They became blamed for economic or societal downturns. It would be better if they were removed from the neighborhood. Round them up and lock them up. Call them “aliens” and then if they don’t comply with all your laws they are “criminal aliens”.

It is different now, right? We are only going after the bad guys. Or we are blocking refugees from war torn areas because there might be bad dudes among them. We will clean the streets of all the gangs and drugs and violence by targeting the bad guys. And if you look like them or have an accent or dress like them then you can go too. The hatred that is stirred up in this movement spills out into racial battles and burning of mosques and desecration of Jewish cemeteries and hate crimes. Hate breeds hate.

I can’t be quiet in this. I was thinking that my friends from Mexico needed my help in some way. I realized that we are also affected deeply by all of this rhetoric. How much more will we all be affected as families are torn apart or hide in fear that they will be next? If I speak out will I be labeled also? Probably. If I remain silent do I forfeit the freedoms and values that I hold. Liberty and justice for all! Love your neighbor as yourself!