The Hands and Feet of Jesus
The people I met at the churches at the border aren’t concerned about the politics of the “border crisis” as we see it framed on the news. They are too busy being the hands and feet of Jesus.
I just returned from a service learning trip in McAllen, Texas with Border Perspective, a peacemaking ministry that equips, educates, and mobilizes people of faith through biblical resources and service learning trips along the U.S. and Mexico border. During this three day immersive experience, our group met with Border Patrol, visited a shelter and a welcoming center for migrants, learned some of the history of the region, and met and learned from multiple pastors and church leaders who serve on both sides of the border. We heard a variety of perspectives and voices who gave us a fuller picture of the complexities of this space. It was striking to note that those serving in ministry in the Rio Grande Valley—at least those that we encountered this week—were not focused on the politics of the border. They are too busy seeking the flourishing of the city in a region marked by poverty and the unique challenges that face immigrant communities.
The churches we encountered demonstrate a beautiful solidarity with one another, not competing for resources but sharing what they have with an open hand and faith that God will provide. The “immigration issue” for them is less hand-wringing about who is coming across the border right now and more lament at the brokenness that has existed in our immigration laws for decades, a system that separates families and detains hard-working community leaders who have been here for years. They are praying for the funds to build churches so they can feed their neighbors with both physical and spiritual food. We heard about how these churches managed to feed those neighbors throughout Covid despite their own significant financial challenges. One local church saw a need a few years ago as a migrant encampment at a plaza in Reynosa grew. The church stepped up to provide warm meals and worship, first to dozens and then to thousands, faithfully providing for those in such vulnerable circumstances for months. I met a pastor whose family sold their home in order to continue payments on their church building because there simply were not enough funds for them to finance both.
In my work with We Choose Welcome, a grassroots community seeking to mobilize and equip women of faith to have brave conversations about immigration and to take impactful action for the vulnerable, we have issued a challenge for the American church to do better as we engage conversations about immigration and about the way we speak about immigrant lives in particular. However, today I feel that I stand somewhat corrected. Yes, there are parts of the American church that are really missing the mark and forgetting the image of God in our neighbors. But the church in the Rio Grande Valley is also part of the complex tapestry of the American church. They may not be the ones making the top headlines, but they are leading by example in a powerful way. Similarly, we see churches in Springfield, Ohio stepping up to show love to the Haitian community that has faced such severe discrimination in recent weeks. The example of the church at the border and the Springfield church are a reminder of the call for unity and loving across differences that we find all across the book of Acts and the New Testament letters. In a time marked by division and harmful rhetoric, these churches are a light on a hill showing the world and the rest of the church how to better live out Jesus’ call to welcome.
Written by Sheila Joiner, our Content Writer at We Choose Welcome.
