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E-luminations, Bishop Hoshibata |
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Written by Jeanne Knepper
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Thursday, 27 September 2007 |
Humane, Not Hostile, Borders
September 19, 2007
Dear Members and Friends of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference,
Riding in a vehicle designed more for safety than for comfort, and in the company of the other bishops of the Western Jurisdiction, I bumped along a dusty desert road in Arizona. We had journeyed to Tucson where we connected with Humane Borders, a faith-based organization whose mission is to respond with humanitarian assistance to those risking their lives crossing the border from Mexico into the United States. Humane Borders also encourages the creation of public policies toward a humane border with Mexico.
I was struck by the stereotypical desert scene: the hot, dry landscape with cactus and other arid-country plants; sandy ground, brown mountains and hillsides. Above, large black birds circled lazily in the cloudless sky. "Turkey buzzards," our driver and guide, Annie, stated.
"He will probably stop." Annie was referring to the Rev. Robin Hoover, an ordained pastor of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and founder of Humane Borders. Robin was driving the van in front of us with some of the other bishops. Annie explained that when turkey buzzards circled, there might be a body of someone who had died while trying to cross into the United States. I felt a chill.
Sure enough, we stopped and looked at the desert floor under the circling buzzards. "Just road-kill," Annie explained as we resumed our journey. I was relieved. Almost 200 persons have been found dead in the desert thus far this year.
That morning, we bishops were traveling in the desert that separates the city of Tucson from the Mexican border crossing station at the town of Sasabe.
On the way, we stopped to check one of the numerous water stations maintained by Humane Borders. Large drums holding clean water, each station identified by a blue flag flying high in the desert, are checked regularly and cleaned and refilled. That morning we saw evidence the station had been used by migrantes to quench their thirst. Migrantes are Mexican immigrants crossing the border to the United States.
We learned that migrantes cross the border for a variety of reasons.
In many cases, they leave their families in Mexico or other countries south of Mexico to travel to the United States to find jobs. Some attempt to join relatives already across the border. Many have hopes and dreams of earning a decent wage to send back to their families or of saving until they can return home. In the past, most of the migrantes were men; in more recent times, women and children have joined them.
The migrantes' paths through the desert can easily be discerned by the trail of discarded items. Some items outlive their usefulness: containers of food or water, clothing, toiletries. Other items become much too cumbersome for the journey: strollers, toys, a Bible. These discarded items tell a tale of hardship, disappointment, desperation, even death. Sometimes the turkey buzzards in the sky signal that another migrante has died in the desert.
The experience at the border brought new awareness of the dangers of desert travel. The desert itself is far from life-affirming. Inhospitable and unforgiving, stretching for miles, plants with razor-sharp barbs, and insects and animals that can injure or kill a human present a daunting challenge even to the most hardy. I cannot imagine the migrantes' journey. Even in the air-conditioned, all-wheel drive vehicle I was riding in, I was weary and miserable.
There exists a wide range of opinions about the border. Indeed, the border is one of those "hot-button" topics today. The visit by your bishops was made because we wanted to have a clearer sense of the issue. Our being there was an opportunity to see for ourselves the conditions the migrantes face, what kinds of humanitarian aid is being offered, what the political reality of the border and the US Border Patrol are, and to ask for God's wisdom and guidance as we seek better understanding.
We spent three days at the border. We drove for long hours along rough, dusty dirt roads. In the heat of the summer, we also endured the seasonal torrential rains-the monsoons.
Along the way, we picked up two men who were walking to a village. They were relieved to have a ride. They would have walked for several hours as they sought emergency dental care for one of them.
After entering Mexico, we journeyed to the town of Altar where we observed migrantes preparing to cross the border. Shops around the square sold black backpacks and all manner of supplies. The Catholic church in the square offered free meals. We visited a guest house and talked with several migrantes. I spoke with a group that looked very young. They were preparing to cross into the United States to find their relatives in the mid-West. As we bowed in prayer with them, Bishop Minerva Carcaño (Phoenix Area) led us in prayer and as we departed, we wished them God's presence.
There were many other experiences and learnings at the border.
Some people are absolutely convinced that there must be stricter border policies to prevent migrantes from crossing; there are some who are nonetheless yearning for a more humane approach to those who cross.
In one conversation, one of our Mexican colleagues reminded us that "since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, we have all been migrantes." I appreciate that statement. I am longing for a political policy of immigration that is humane and Christ-like. A secure border does not mean a hostile border; rather, a secure border must allow for the safe flow of individuals back and forth. And until a humane political solution is found, we must be in prayer and we must offer aid out of the Christ-center of our hearts.
Until we do, women, children and men will be suffering and dying in the desert.
In prayer for Christ's shalom,
Robert T. Hoshibata
Loving God of all people, we ask for your wisdom in a difficult tiem. While the political powers and principalities seek a just resolution to the border issue, help us to be people of faith and compassion. We pray for migrantes who risk life and safety; and for their families who are left behind or who are companions in the journey. Give us compassionate hearts, O God, that we might act in ways that speak of our faith in you. Let the solution to this matter be found through prayerful discernment. We pray for those who offer humanitarian aid at the border. And we ask that Christ may be made known in our deliberations and our actions. In the grace of Christ we pray, Amen.
(More details of the journey by the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops may be found in an article written by Bishop Minerva Carcaño at: http://desertsouthwestconference.org/desertconnection.)
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