Old Testament priests officially “declared” a person pure or impure, for example, lepers were declared impure. Priests would banish impure persons like lepers, establishing borders to keep them out, “He shall dwell apart.” Integrated relationships were destroyed. The Gospel’s Jesus of Nazareth gathers together people who are declared impure. More so, he specifically heals those suffering with the disease of leprosy, telling one healed man in particular, “Go show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
A critic is a “person skilled in judging.” Critics can be skilled in telling us what is wrong with a person, a society, but they are less likely to co-create what is right, good, healthy, often demanding proof of what is right, good, healthy. Like the priests of Old, religious critics condemn and banish, destroying relationships while claiming they represent God. At present critics inform us that God condemns and banishes those who are gay, Mexican, Muslim, immigrant, unbelievers, etc. When the religious critic rejects Jesus’ salving/healing action in favor of the Old Testament’s action to condemn and banish, the critic believes they are saviors. Failing to condemn and banish persons who are gay, immigrants, and so forth, is failing to be the chosen people and nation saved by God. A permissive society allowing for the integration of such persons needs to be condemned by godly people saving their nation. MAGA’s condemnation as salvation explains their “God’s Army” headed to the Southern border to “keep America safe.” It explains Trump’s, McConnell’s, and other GOP members’ desire to condemn and banish immigrants in a border crisis they fabricate and exaggerate. It even explains why they oppose a legislative bill that also condemns and banishes immigrants at the border because it comes from an impure Biden Administration, “Trump wants them to kill (the bill) because he doesn’t want Biden to have a victory.” But Biden too is a critic, skilled in judging against the humanity of dark-skinned people South of the U.S. border. His bill is harmful, daily capping the number of people who can apply for asylum, establishing punitive immigration enforcement policies that includes finishing the Trump/MAGA border wall, expanding immigration detention, and in targeting and surveilling immigrant families. War Lords have waged war against people to the South for too many centuries. After Northern War Lords stole their land and condemned them to poverty, the War Lords established borders to banish them, destroying opportunities for all of us to live in healthy socially integrated relationships. The relentless unhealthiness explains insurrectionist Eric Zink launching his Texas congressional campaign under the motto, “Jesus Christ ’24. Only Jesus Can Save This Nation.” Like priests of Old, MAGA condemn and banish, willing to destroy – but they do not heal. MAGA members continually offer proof that they are not Christ-like. They are not centered in Jesus’ Way of healing. Every person, for example, every immigrant who refuses to condemn and instead reaches out to invite, who refuses to banish and instead joins together, is the healing salve our world needs.
While dissolving the empires and their minions that maintain Southern border dictatorial politics, enslaving capitalist schemes, and violent corporate cartels, additional actions can be taken: legal pathways can be expanded, wait times can be shortened, paperwork to hire low skilled workers can be less burdensome and costly, facts can be shared about native born citizens committing over 2x the crime as immigrants who pay more into the U.S. financial system than gain from it, and especially potentially harmful dangers to those making desert crossings can be minimized.
Prayer: Spirit, we welcome all brothers and sisters, especially those fleeing oppression, poverty, and war.
Question: How am I helping to heal this empire’s anti-immigrant bias?
February 11, 2024 Gospel Mark 1:40-45 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time