– “Waiting for the Wise Men”.
by Lee Kaercher (2019)
My post today on the Feast of the Holy Family opens with Lee Kaercher's painting, “Waiting for the Wise Men.” It depicts Mary and Joseph on one side of a concrete border barrier topped with barbed wire, while on the other side a young Jesus sits alone.
As I'm sure you'll agree, Kaercher has created a disturbingly powerful work of art, one that clearly speaks to the Trump administration's inhumane policy of separating immigrant children from their parents at the southern border. In the latest count, the total number of children separated since July 2017 is more than 5,400. I'm thinking that Kaercher is calling all of us as people of conscience and compassion to be “the wise men” and women that the holy families of today are waiting for to help put a stop to their cruel treatment at the border. Will we be modern-day magi and bring to bear on the fate of these holy families our gifts of empathy, compassion, and conscientious action?
At the very least we can speak out, as many have done and continue to do. For instance, Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin, TX and Chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration, issued the following statement in June of 2018.
Forcibly separating children from their mothers and fathers is ineffective to the goals of deterrence and safety and contrary to our Catholic values. Family unity is a cornerstone of our American immigration system and a foundational element of Catholic teaching. “Children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward.” (Psalm 127:3) Children are not instruments of deterrence but a blessing from God.
Rupturing the bond between parent and child causes scientifically-proven trauma that often leads to irreparable emotional scarring. Accordingly, children should always be placed in the least restrictive setting: a safe, family environment, ideally with their own families.
And finally, here are the thoughts of Joyce Rupp, O.S.M. on this year's feast of the Holy Family.
Matthew's Gospel relates the harrowing story of how Mary, Joseph, and the child Jesus got up in the night and hurried out of the country. Mary and Joseph acted so that their child would not be murdered. They ran toward a land that offered them safety. What frantic concern and sadness must have filled their minds and hearts as they journeyed away from home and into the bleak night.
Similar situations continue today as countless families flee homelands due to persecution, violence, and other life-threatening conditions. As with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, they leave behind relatives, language, culture, and the familiar surroundings that hold their history.
No matter how we feel and believe regarding the politics surrounding those who cross borders into foreign lands, let us have empathy for what they are going through, extend compassion, and pray for those struggling families who long for security.
Related Off-site Links:
Tally of Children Split at Border Tops 5,400 in New Count – Elliot Spagat (Associated Press via PBS Newshour, October 25, 2019).
Pope Francis Condemns Migrant Detention Camps in Christmas Day Address – Democracy Now! (December 26, 2019).
Were Jesus, Mary and Joseph Refugees? Yes – James Martin, S.J. (America, December 27, 2017).
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Demanding Justice and Embodying Compassion for Separated Families (2019)
• “What We're Seeing Here Is a Tipping Point” (2018)
• Opposing the Trump Administration's Inhumane Treatment of Immigrant Families (2018)
• 2000+ Take to the Streets of Minneapolis to Express Solidarity with Immigrants and Refugees (2017)
• Honoring Óscar and Valeria
• Historian: Trump's Immigration Ban is a "Shock Event" Orchestrated by Steve Bannon to Destabilize and Distract
• Jeremy Scahill on the Historical Context of the Trump Administration's "Pathologically Sick" Anti-Immigrant Agenda
• Marianne Williamson: “Today Is a Day of Shame”
• Something to Think About – June 14, 2018
• Something to Think About – June 20, 2018
• Something to Think About – November 27, 2018
• Quote of the Day – February 27, 2017
• Celebrating the Presence of God Within All Families
• Why This Gay Man Takes Heart from the Feast of the Holy Family
• A Prayer for Refugees
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