Tuesday, June 26, 2018

An accident and a lesson...


Yesterday morning started out sunny, cool and uneventful.

Until I stopped to check the air pressure in my car's tires.

While filling up the front (and final) tire on the driver's side, I suddenly felt a sharp nudge on my left side.

I turned to find that a pick-up truck was backing into me.

So I dropped the air pressure hose, yelling out "Stop! Stop!! Stop!!!" and when the truck continued to pin me next to my car, started to slap its backside.

Thankfully, the driver applied the brakes. He had been backing up at a very slow pace. But even that was enough to cause pain in my left hip where the truck eventually came to rest.

Once the truck stopped I stood up and walked to him.

"You could have run me over!" I said, emphatically. At this point unfettered adrenalin was coursing through my veins.

In response he (a very senior male) just looked at me a few seconds. I repeated the statement. To which he replied, "I didn't see you."

I repeated my opening statement. And he looked at me and apologized.

At this point, I was dumbfounded at his calm demeanor. Enough so that it totally disarmed me.

"Well, please drive straight ahead," I said. Hoping to keep him from backing into my car. "And please be careful."

"I will," he said and slowly went forward. Leaving me to finish putting air into that final tire.

I completed the task at hand, while dealing with the post-adrenalin after-rush. Thinking, "I can't believe what just happened! I just can't believe it! That guy almost crushed me. If I hadn't of shouted, he easily could have pinned me between his truck and my car!"

Yes, it definitely could have ended up much, much worse.

But this morning, as I'm writing this, the primary sense of fear - of eminent danger - has been replaced with gratitude.

I'm grateful that there were no injuries. Both for myself and the elderly gentlemen.

I'm grateful for God's protection - for I do believe in it.

And, this is almost the biggest take-away from the experience, I'm grateful for the gentlemen driver's even-tempered disposition.

Because it was his calmness that served as the antidote to my adrenalin. 

On any given day we're exposed to more than a fair share of stress and not-so-good examples of how to handle it. 

Just last week while spending time with a friend in a coffee shop I admitted to feeling angry at so many things that are happening in the US right now, in regards to issues of social justice.

But, while the anger may be justified, there's the call to handle anger properly. Psalm 4:4 says "Don't sin by letting your anger control you." (NLT). 

Paul in writing the book of Ephesians rounds it out, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander... Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another..." (Eph. 4:31)

Nelson Mandela
I'm not saying that we should go around excusing immoral behavior. But I am saying we should be careful how we handle our anger.  And I'm definitely not saying we should ignore or deny it; or that anger is wrong. Taken positively, anger can actually be the fuel needed to take active steps towards the alleviation of injustice.  

On the other hand, unbridled anger can lead to resentment and bitterness. In the words of Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison as a political prisoner:  "As I walked out the door toward the [prison] gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew that if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison."

Perhaps the first step to handling anger (outside of a response to social injustice) may well come from taking a moment to see why we are angry in the first place. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, has pointed out that anger most often is caused by hurt, frustration or fear.

I tend to agree. Meanwhile, I'm really grateful for the example of that gentleman driver who accidentally hit me.

Photo credits: mindful.org; dublincounsellors.ie

Monday, June 18, 2018

Separating Children @ the Border? "There is no such policy."


Author Update: On June 20, bowing to enormous political pressure, the President signed an executive order in effect stopping the practice of separating children at the border. About six weeks ago, the current administration in Washington announced a "zero tolerance" policy in regards to families and individuals attempting to cross over at the Mexican border. The new executive order does nothing to change the plight of the 2,300 children who were already separated from their parents. 

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According to the New York Times, this "Zero Tolerance" policy has resulted in over two thousand children being separated from their families within the past two months. 

But it wasn't until Attorney General Jeff Sessions cherry-picked a Bible quote about obeying the law that he opened up the proverbial can of worms.

First, to make it absolutely clear, there was no policy in place mandating separating children from families at the border, or a "Zero Tolerance" policy mandating prosecuting refugees as criminals. It was a decision by the current administration in Washington (mainly Trump and his top advisor, Stephen Miller) that created the new "zero tolerance" policy that is now being championed by most of the West Wing.

In an ill-fated attempt to add legitimacy to this policy, Sessions zeroed in on the opening verses from Romans 13, which talks about obeying the governing authorities. But within those same verses, Paul (the author of Romans) points out that "all authority comes from God," not any particular government. So, there is a higher moral authority, that supersedes secular institutions.

And if Sessions had read the rest of Romans Chapter 13, he would have found Paul's encouragement to "love one another (vs. 8). If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law."

So, in effect the same Chapter that Sessions quoted winds up making the main point that there is a higher law, created by God, which asks us to love one another.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who says she is a Christian also echoed Sessions interpretation of Chapter 13.

The net effect of Sessions and Sanders stumbling in referencing the Bible caused a monumental push-back among Christian leaders, many of them conservative. Including Franklin Graham, who, to date, has been one of Trump's fiercest supporters. Graham called the decision to separate families at the border "disgraceful."

Former First Lady Laura Bush (the last republican first lady in the White House) noted, "this zero tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart."

Stephen Miller, the president's senior advisor, who has been pushing for a "zero tolerance" policy since the election, told the New York Times in an interview that: "It was a simple decision by the [Trump] administration to have a zero tolerance policy for illegal entry, period." 

In an effort to separate fact from fiction in regards to the "zero tolerance" policy the Washington Post offered this handy source.

There are two immigration bills currently being considered in the House this week. Possibly as early as Tuesday.

Meanwhile, children of families seeing to come into the US, mostly through established entry points along the border with Mexico, who were caught before the Executive Order issued on June 20th, continue to be separated.


And the President, his senior advisor and the head of Homeland Security remain firmly committed to the "zero tolerance" policy.

Centuries ago, William Shakespeare had some powerful words to say about how to treat refugees. It was part of a play that was censored. Here's a three-minute, powerful portion called "The Strangers' Case." It's an absolutely brilliant defense for the cause of the refugee among us.

Of course, practically all major organized religions, including Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim and Christian have something to say about how we treat the "stranger" among us. Among Christians, there is a doctrine called Imago Dei, which, simply reminds us that since we are all made in God's image, we are all equally important before God, and should be so among each other. Here's what Fr. Richard Rohr has to say about Imago Dei.

If you're motivated to call your Congressional representatives, you can do so by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121. You will be asked your zip code and then you'll be connected. Once connected you can tell the Congressional staff/aide that you are against the "zero tolerance" policy. If you already called your Congressional representative about the separation of children at the border, good job! Thank You! Your phone calls exerted pressure that resulted in the current Executive Order now barring this practice. If you haven't called yet, feel free to call or follow-up regarding the "zero tolerance" policy, which remains in effect.

Photo Credits: Top, Daily Beast, middle Transitions; bottom ABC News

Monday, June 11, 2018

Wondering what it feels like to be an immigrant or refugee...

As I'm writing this my furnace is being taken out and replaced.

I'm sure, at least in most of North America, this counts as a relatively simple action. In my case it includes two workers from the heating and cooling company who are doing the job.

Even so, I have to admit, I'm nervous. Even anxious.

For one thing, Abbott and Buddy (two fifteen-year old cats) share the house with me.

One of the concerns is that they are inside cats, not used to being outdoors. And the furnace guys have to keep the door open for a while as they take out the old furnace and bring in the new.

Potential cat escape to freedom? (Not likely, but nonetheless a possibility).

Then I consider, I'm only one person (five feet, one inch tall). And I'm about a month shy of being sixty-six years of age. The furnace guys are both way taller, and a lot younger than me. If they wanted to they could easily take over my house. (Again, not likely, but nonetheless entirely possible.)

So, all of this got me to thinking: What would the level of nervousness or anxiety be if I were a recent immigrant or refugee in the US?

There's a good chance that I wouldn't speak the language. That means very limited ability to read any signs (at the grocery store, walking down the street, at the strip mall, or anywhere else.) This translates to confusion. An inability to understand the culture.

Most likely my circle of friends would be limited to those who share my language and background.

If I were school-aged, and went to a public school, I would stand out. My clothes, the lunch I brought from home, the way I look, the way I might respond to questions, all of those things would be the equivalent of walking around with a huge "I'm Different Than You" sign strapped to my back. My whole life experience, up to the point that I came to the US, would seem very, very strange to most of the kids sitting around me in class. Most likely my teacher would not have had much training, if any, focused on teaching immigrant children.

The goal of practically every institution I encounter would be cultural assimilation, not cross-cultural understanding. During the school year, I would feel enormous pressure every time I walked out the door and got on the bus to get to school. Along with my backpack, I would be carrying a load of other people's expectations, from fellow students, administrators and instructors.

And I would be very, very conscious of the fact that I don't blend in. That I'm not a member of the majority culture.

If I were an undocumented immigrant or refugee, my anxiety level would be even higher.

Let's return to the example of the furnace repair guys from the beginning of this story. What if I were an undocumented immigrant or refugee? And instead of furnace repair guys knocking on my door this morning, it had been ICE agents? Typically, ICE agents don't announce that they are coming to your home. They don't let you know they're planning to intercept and arrest you.  (And there have been documented cases of ICE agents showing up at the most unlikely places, like hospitals, to arrest folks). No place you go is safe anymore.

And instead of two cats, what if I had two children with me. And because I had been threatened by a gang in my home country we had no other option except to head north to the Mexican border? What level of anxiety would I be feeling when my children and I were caught and detained? And because of the "no tolerance" policy of the current administration in Washington, my children were taken away from me? (On Monday, Attorney General Sessions reversed a decision that enabled victims of domestic or gang violence to seek asylum in the US.)


What if my children were three and five years old, and did not understand English? How helpless and distraught and anxious and terrified would they feel being separated from each other? How would I feel not being able to tell them where they were going and when we would see each other again?

This is reality for refugees crossing the Mexican border right now.

This is reality for many immigrants living in the US right now.

June is Immigrant Heritage Month. You can check out the I Am An Immigrant organization to get further information. After checking out the link, you can also give a call to your US Senator or Representative at 202.224.3121. You'll be asked for your zip code, and then switched to your elected official's office. Once connected be prepared to make a simple, brief statement that you are not in favor of separating refugee children from their families at the border; that you are against a "no tolerance" policy that allows this to happen. Let your representative know that you are proud to be part of a nation that is made up, mostly, of immigrants. And you stand with them.

Photo Credits: NYC Public Library, Immigrant Law Group

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

Pinocchio: Art Credit, Disney If ever there were a time for a national "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire" award, it's now. And certai...