Dear Editor:
In a Jan. 12 story covering President Trump's comments in an oval office meeting on immigration reform, you reported "Trump specifically questioned why the U.S. would want to admit more people from Haiti. He also mentioned Africa and asked why more people from 's--hole countries' should be allowed into the U.S." As a human who recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of all other humans, regardless of skin color or country of origin, I'm disgusted and embarrassed, as I know millions of others are.
As a Christian and minister of the Gospel, I'm reminded that exceptionalism and nationalism has long been our default. The Hebrew prophets rail against this orientation and call the children of Israel to a love of God that is manifest in love of neighbor, even and especially across borders that divide us.
As providence would have it, the Gospel text in the Revised Common Lectionary for this Sunday offers a rebuke to those who would choose exceptionalism. John 1:45-46 (NRSV) reads: Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
It seems that Nathanael thought Nazareth was a s--hole country. The good news of Jesus of Nazareth is that there are no s--hole countries in a world where we (who are Christian at least) claim that all people are made in the image of God. The good news of the Gospel is that God, throughout human history, has chosen the most unlikely people to lead the work and mission of God in the world. The good news of the church is that we get the opportunity to be called to accountability in our pride and exceptionalism, and to repent of those sins and give ourselves over to the transformation that God offers, which opens our eyes to the beauty and gift that is the "other" in our world. I pray that this message is heard in churches across this great land this weekend, and that we emerge a people committed to honoring the image of God stamped on each human masterpiece.
Can anything good come from Haiti and Africa? Come and see.