America is shooting tear gas at people at the border. Some reports claim that rubber bullets are being used as well.
Yesterday I learned that we have been doing this since 2010. I had no idea. Let me be clear – it wasn’t right in 2010 and it isn’t right now.
The question I have seen in response to the most recent use of tear gas is: are we better than this? Apparently not.
If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, can you support shooting tear gas at people seeking asylum? Apparently. I don’t know how though.
We just celebrated “Christ the King” Sunday in church. It’s the Sunday when we proclaim that Jesus is king, not anyone or anything else. It’s a declaration that the empires of the world, and all they stand for, are empty and pretty unspecial. The reign of God is what we seek instead.
Being king means that you have control and authority. A king gets to determine what people do, claims their loyalty, and gives commands. A king gets to have say over people’s money, their politics, who is an enemy and how they are treated, and so much more.
If Jesus is king, then it means he is in charge. If Jesus is king, then those of us who claim to be his followers listen to what the king says and follow orders. When a king speaks, he is not to be dismissed and his words are not to be taken lightly.
This is what we are claiming when we proclaim Jesus as king. In light of this, I have a few questions regarding our use of tear gas on people at the border.
If you support shooting tear gas at people at the border, tell me how your theology supports this action. Tell me how this action assists us in following Christ the King. Tell me how it is a command of Jesus when Scripture tells us Jesus said “welcome the stranger.”
Tell me how you are following Jesus’ commands to love your neighbor and love your enemy when you support the shooting of tear gas at people at the border.
Tell me how you are following Jesus’ command to welcome the stranger when you support the shooting of tear gas at people at the border.
How is America following Christ the King when we ignore, and too often reject, Christ’s commands, whether now or in 2010? How exactly are we a Christian nation when we think we know better than Jesus?
We shouldn’t be shooting tear gas at people. We should be shedding tears. We should see the humanitarian crisis that is at our border and on the hemisphere – a crisis that we helped create.
Are we better than this? Good question. Our actions proclaim to the world if we are.
Laced up Lutheran 
I believe that at least some who reject the idea of a welcoming arms philosophy/ Jesus’ command do so because they support entering legally. I wish I had a miraculous answer and a healthy space where those seeking asylum could be comfortable until the legal process is completed. Shooting, I personally could not look at people fleeing for their safety in the face and shoot them with ANYTHING! I would want to hug them and cry w them but still believe that they must come in legally, which is possible but not quick w so many coming. Don’t know how Jesus would judge me for that thinking.
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I think there’s a lot of misperceptions about what legal entry for asylum seekers actually is.
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Thanks for convicting words as usual. Since my political obsession days aren’t that far out of the rearview mirror yet, I still struggle sometimes to forget the politics and hold everything up to scripture.
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We all struggle with this.
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Matthew, I have a bit of difficulty with this one. I am sympathetic to the marching immigrants, and I oppose violence against them, but I don’t see how we can impose the biblical injunction to ‘welcome the stranger’ on the government. Yes, as a believer, I want to welcome strangers, but I can’t refer to the Bible to tell Caesar what to do.
You ask, “How is America following Christ the King when we ignore, and too often reject, Christ’s commands, whether now or in 2010? How exactly are we a Christian nation when we think we know better than Jesus?”
I can advocate policy and I can vote, but we are not a ‘Christian nation’ any more than the Roman Empire was a ‘Christian Empire’. And I cannot demand that the government observe biblical views and practices.
This question comes to mind every time I hear someone mention ‘welcome the stranger’ as guidance for the nation–and I hear it a lot.
Perhaps I have misunderstood the article.
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Tim, No worries. I actually don’t think we are a Christian nation, nor have we ever been. The point of that statement in the blog post was to try to point out the riduculousness of the concept when it is weighed against theology. I’m not interested in the nation imposing “Christian” doctrine. It would only be abused.
I do raise this up those because how do we welcome the stranger? Is there a difference between what we do personally and what we do as policy? Why?
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Got it!
I agree that as citizens of two kingdoms our political action will be influenced by our religious perspective. But I do shudder every time I see a statement implying that the government should base national policy on biblical considerations.
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