Are You There, God? It’s Me, Tracy…

"When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God."  ̶  Leviticus 19:33-34

What does being a Christian in this evolving version of America mean? Well, if you ask many of those who identify as “conservative,” who support the GOP and the current administration, it appears to mean accepting the need to support policies that include instilling fear into whole communities, racially profiling individuals who may have lived and worked in a community for years or even decades, targeting mothers, fathers, and even children for deportation to countries they have either never lived in…or worse.

This is not a “Christian” approach…but it is a basic tenet of Christian Nationalism, which supports a more authoritarian and “boundary-enforcing” ethos, one that appears to appeal to those who wish to enforce and legislate a more ethno-cultural/religious/nationalist framing around fear of "the other," those being immigrants, racial, and sexual minorities.

The definition of “Christian” can be defined as “one who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ.” For anyone familiar with the Gospels (which is really just one story, told from four perspectives), Jesus taught a form of “radical inclusion.” In the book of Matthew (Matthew 25:25 ̶ 36), Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” In the Book of Genesis (Genesis 23:4) – literally the first book of the Bible – we are told, “I am a stranger and an alien residing among you; give me property among you for a burying place, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

It is clear that those who subscribe to the definition of Christian Nationalism are not actually Christian in any way, shape, or form. That said, where do the priests, pastors, and evangelists in this country – specifically here in Tracy - stand on the current administration’s authoritarian, xenophobic, and, yes, fascist approach to immigration? How do they reconcile what this administration is doing with the teachings of Jesus Christ?

In the past year, individual priests and pastors in other cities have stepped up with protestors at rallies, even being shot with pepper balls and tear gas for simply standing with others to bring attention to the injustice being inflicted on their communities. Why have we not heard from the plethora Tracy-area churches, regardless of faith? If one truly has “faith” and identifies as being “Christian,” where is their support of the marginalized? Where is their criticism of this administration’s inhumane policies that run counter to the teachings of Jesus, or Adonai, or Allah, or even the Buddhas?

There actually is a diverse coalition of Christian groups nationwide has stood up to strongly criticize this administration’s approach to immigration, but response has been fairly divergent, primarily due to political allegiance ( a large majority of white evangelicals support the more “conservative” political position), different interpretations of “faith” driven by allegedly “Christian” legal experts and leaders arguing that the Bible does not mandate “open borders” and that upholding the rule of law is a valid Christian perspective, and – of course – the very loud, vocal, and seemingly growing Christian Nationalist movement this administration is feeding into to retain power. All of these reasons appear to be prevalent here in Tracy...but there are outliers.

My own conflict of faith emerged when I observed individuals around me who purported to agree with the teachings of Jesus cherry picking those same teachings to feed their personal and political narratives. That said, I know many individuals who have great faith, who endeavor to live lives full of compassion and empathy for all…which gives me hope that there are more who simply are not very vocal. For them, and for all in the Tracy community, I have a plea…and a challenge:

Wake up. Speak up. Show up. Be loud. Embody the teachings of Jesus and support the stranger, the foreigner, the needy, those in this community who came here to build a better life for themselves and their families who want nothing more than to live in peace, contributing to the Tracy community and society as a whole. Call out injustice at every turn…or you may be targeted yourself by this administration simply for the color of your skin or gender, regardless of your citizenship status.

Remember: Jesus was himself an immigrant and, contrary to what some may think, he was not white.

S. Thompson
 Tracy Resistance & Action Coalition – Indivisible TRAC indivisible