Christian Reflection and Prayer

Romans 13:9-10
The commandments, “You shall not commit
adultery,” “You shall not
murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall
not covet,” and whatever other command
there may be, are summed up in this one
command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.
” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore
love is the fulfillment of the law.

 

God pokes us: "Love one another as I have loved you."
He prods us:"If you have two coats give one to the man who
has none."Then He turns up the heat:"Love your enemies.
Pray for your persecutors. "Higher it goes: "Give to the man
who begs from you . . . feed My lambs . . . feed My sheep."

A wise person is hungry for knowledge,
     while the fool feeds on trash. —
Proverbs 15:14 (NLT)

 

What we look at matters. What we pay
attention to matters. So we better guard
ourselves from consuming trash. Instead
of watching garbage on television, use
your eyes to fill yourself up on God’s
Words. Don’t listen to trash talk; instead
listen to inspiring Bible classes.

 

It’s been said “you are what you eat.
” Perhaps a more accurate statement is
we are very much the product of what we
see, hear, and think.

 

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

The brokenness of our nation’s immigration system has
implications for many of the values that we hold dear –
but now, more than ever, these policies are simply about
life and death.

 

Last week, more than 1,000 refugees drowned in the
Mediterranean Sea. The current refugee crisis is widely
considered to be the worst since World War II, as tens of
millions of people flee violence and war. But the United
States – the nation which has long proclaimed itself the
shining city on the hill, whose Statue of Liberty yearns to
give refuge to “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free” – is doing far less than its fair
share in accepting refugees.

 

Meanwhile, the Obama administration is conducting more
deportation raids against mothers and children fleeing the
Northern Triangle in Central America – one of the most
dangerous regions on the planet. There is mounting
evidence some of those being targeted for deportation
never received due process or legal representation. Some
unaccompanied children such as toddlers do not receive
any legal representation whatsoever, instead standing
alone in front of an immigration judge to represent
themselves. This mockery of American justice means that
mothers and children with legitimate claims to asylum are
being sent back to their deaths.

 

As Christians, we have a special responsibility to stand up
for the widow, the orphan, the sojourner, and the poor.
Many Christians across the country are providing sanctuary
to the undocumented and welcome to the refugees coming
to their communities. If there was ever a time when gospel
witness for the immigrant and the refugee was needed, it
is now.

 

In faith,
The Sojourners Immigration Team