It may sound strange to hear, but we like working with our Hispanic contractors, a lot. Sometimes I feel like we prefer working with our Mexican concrete finishers more than anyone else. Before we get too far here, if you are looking for a woke-political post on immigration, keep on trolling, I mean scrolling. I am patriotic and I love America. I am for firm borders because unenforceable borders create chaos. And, most of our Mexicans colleagues, the ones I work with who are legal citizens feel strongly that citizenship is important too. They agree with requiring citizenship for immigrants and they talk poorly of the folks who are here illegally.
The vast majority of the Mexican Concrete tradesmen that we Pump Concrete for are honest, hard-working people. To the false accusation that “they” are stealing work from Americans, that is inaccurate to say the least. They are not afraid of hard work, they are eager to be employed, and they are willing to take on difficult work that many other people shy away from — many Americans are neglecting hard work, and our Mexican brothers are filling this gap quite well.
So why is it that I really enjoy working with the Mexican Concrete finishers, what is it about their attitude and their behaviors that makes this so? They are good hearted people, they don’t take our country’s blessings for granted. Overall our Mexican customers are a joy to work with, they are in a nutshell: Polite, Professional, patient, optimistic, cooperative, family centered, appreciative, respectful, humble, conscientious, easy to work with and friendly. Concrete and concrete pumping is challenging enough, a good attitude goes a long way in this industry and there is no room for prejudice out here on the job site.
Thankfully someone kicked the hornet's nest confronting our views of tariffs and deportation. Politicising these topics only camouflages their clarity, now it’s time to actually examine our ethical standards.
Why did much of our manufacturing and agriculture relocate in the first place? Canadian lumber isn’t straighter than Montana’s. We don’t buy electronics from overseas because they are higher quality, yesterday it was transistor radios, today it’s big screen TVs. South American beef or the frozen fish from Vietnam in our grocery store isn’t better than our domestic staples.
Our imported gadgets, garments, and gym shoes are mostly manufactured in places like China, India, or Sri Lanka by people chained to a factory floor. We’re enabling what essentially amounts to modern-day slavery; but our conscience is sheltered from our passive dehumanization by an ocean of separation while our insatiable appetite for toys and trinkets perpetuates a practice that is less than rewarding for the workers.
Additionally, we are too important for menial labor or to allow our children to be dishwashers or enter any of the service industries, so for a generation we have basically treated our goodhearted Hispanic neighbors like indentured servants. We don’t habitually move into Hispanic neighborhoods, we move out when they move in and “white flight” takes place. We aren’t hiring qualified Hispanic school teachers or police officers by the droves, we aren’t partnering with them in our small businesses, electing them as the Mayor, or having them over for supper either.
The rage over tariffs/deportations is only a symptom, we need to ask ourselves what is at stake and why the uproar now? Our addiction to material goods and cheap labor that’s beneath us has blinded us and the outcry over tariffs and deporations feels disingenuous, something feels inconsistent within our character considering that what we’ve become accustomed to is now at risk of becoming inconvenient.
Again, our dependence on cheap labor & goods is blinding us while overseas manufacturing facilities function as a buffering agent shielding our conscience -- where has the authentic compassion for our Hispanics, disadvantaged Asians, and the dejected citizens in America’s farmlands & Rust Belt been for the last 40 years? The sting of tariffs and deportation means higher prices for the consumer but what if instead of freaking out about higher prices we consider the mere possibility of how the American rancher and farmer might thrive and our folks in the Rust Belt might regain their dignity and become productive and prosperous once again if these proposed tariffs and stricter immigration policies are as dangerous as they appear to be.
Here’s what we’ve perhaps lost sight of: “You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns.” (Deut 24:14)
Consumerism is not a Red or Blue issue between the conservatives and progressives -- sadly we are too preoccupied with our own self interests as if tariffs and immigration were simply economic/social issues instead of seeing them for what they are at their core, spiritual conditions of the heart. More to the point, what if we evaluated our purchasing habits and stopped taking advantage of foreigners, farmers, and factory workers, because that’s exactly what we are guilty of doing independently of whichever administration happens to occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
A popular (stale I should say) meme that flows like leftover gravy this time of year that is meant to shame you if you are in favor of securing our southern border, building the wall, or simply enforcing our immigration laws. Many who think this worn-out meme backs up their views on laxer immigration laws might be missing the point of it all.
Or there’s this meme of Shame:
Somehow you are not a good Christian if you think immigration laws exist for a reason, and you shamefully have disowned your faith because you have hardened your heart to wandering alien.
Hogwash.
The native Americans didn't have a written constitution like we have, or any written laws pertaining to immigration, and, they were very territorial themselves with the differing tribes. The Bible implies God established kingdoms and their rulers, and those living in the land need to obey the law of the land. Therefore, people who desire to live here need to follow the laws applied to U.S. citizenship.
Thankfully, the pilgrims received the hospitality they did. If you want to shame Americans today into opening our borders, Thanksgiving isn't the way. The native Americans were not natives to this hemisphere. They themselves traveled here, some from Asia, some from northeastern Europe.
There is irrefutable historical evidence Egyptians, Mediterranean sailors, and Mideasterners all traveled and traded with the people living in the Western Hemisphere as early as 7000 BC. So the pilgrims were not the first white people to try to settle here. And, the chances are that the Indians who hosted the pilgrims on the first thanksgiving more than likely wrested their chunk of land away from a previous occupant.
To make matters worse, people try to tie Bible passages in with this meme, as if defending your country's borders is anti-Christian. Paul observed, respected, and obeyed Roman laws pertaining to his status as a citizen, and invoked those privileges when it benefited him. Both the Old and New Testament have instruction on obeying the laws of the land, respecting authorities, and the value boundaries.
I have no idea what the agenda is of people who think this meme and what it represents somehow diminishes the necessity of proper immigration statuses. It is not callous or ungracious to expect people to enter our country legally and follow the proper channels to attain citizenship. It is fair and kind, we are not closed to the world, we have reasons to ask people to respect our path to citizenship. It’s not much different locking your front door at night or your car, you do not let just anyone drive your car or take up residence in your home without your permission.
It is civilized to follow the laws of the land you seek to belong to. And contrary to this virtue signaling meme, each and every country requires defined boundaries and borders to be recognized as a country, disrespecting this basic principle erodes the very foundation of civilization and that would be unchristian.
Chances are, you’ve recently had a disagreement with someone over the border/immigration situation. My guess is, both of you were passionate about whichever stance either of you took. It’s good to have firm convictions, but can you share your convictions without condemnation? And more importantly, can we debate issues without misusing the Bible in the process?
You see, I’m not so much interested in your stance or even in sharing my position here regarding the border, as much as I am in a greater principle which is at stake: How most of us attempt to use the Bible to backup our views. Do you find it interesting how nearly everyone who is commenting on both sides of the border crisis, whether is about the families who were separated or how we should treat refugees, they are all referencing the Bible to convince others of their stance?
You might be asking, “But shouldn’t we backup our perspectives with the Bible?” It might sound heretical, but maybe not -- at least not in the way most people mean. For example, the question, “How do we know when the Bible actually supports what we think?” is more than likely the wrong question, and it’s that type of thinking that gets us in trouble. Instead, we need to ask, “Are our thoughts in line with the Scriptures?” not the other way around as in “Does the Bible support my stance...?”
Why is it tricky to “use” the Bible, for example, to backup our position on the border? For starters, as far as governments and nations go, the Bible was written in a different context and cultural situation than ours. Namely, the ancient world of Bible-times was governed by Theocratic governments and dictatorial empires. Those forms of government were very dissimilar to our modern day democracies, and lest we forget, America is a Republic.
So, if you say the Bible instructs us to obey our government, we are all in trouble in America since we rebelled against Great Britain during the Revolutionary War... And if you say, the Bible commands us to treat refugees a certain way since the children of God were wanders, that’s tough to support too since not many of us can trace our lineage to those who wandered through the desert for forty years.
It is extremely difficult to “use” the Bible to defend a political position on most of our current events. It’s nothing new for people to twist the Bible to say whatever they think is the most accurate point of view. The fact is, in America during our Civil War we had preachers on both sides of the Mason-Dixon who were guilty of cherry-picking passages of Scripture to support their views on slavery.
It requires humility to submit to God’s word, not a hostile heart that is aggressively trying the be the champion of truth. Please don’t misunderstand me, I believe in absolute truth, and I think relativism has done more harm than any other ideology, but most of the people who think they have a monopoly on the Truth are usually the most judgmental and mean-spirited people I’ve ever met.
To interpret the Bible and to apply it to our everyday life is a prayerful enterprise. We need to ask questions based on which genre we are reading because the Bible has many styles of literature: Narrative, Law, poetry, wisdom, apocalyptic, Gospels/parables, epistles. We need to also ask questions about the author and the audience, asking what did a passage mean to the original audience comes before asking what does it mean for us.
It’s healthy to acknowledge we could be mistaken about many of our opinions on a host of subjects. It’s healthier still to immerse ourselves in the Scriptures and study the Bible in such a way that it guides our thoughts, not the other way around. If you are opening up the Bible to find a verse that supports what you already believe, close your Bible and open your heart to the Spirit.
Sadly, our nation is presently divided and polarized into extreme ideological camps, both on the “Right” and “Left” over a multitude of issues; the border issue is merely the latest debate du jour. It may be unfortunate that these days we can’t even have a civil dialogue about our views with the “opposing” side, but actually, the real tragedy happens whenever we recklessly wield our Bibles like a hammer.
I don't know anyone who has "all" the answers for how to handle our immigration situation, at least answers that match up with how they function in everyday life. But if you want to impress me and convince me that you are serious about open boarders, start leaving your front door unlocked at night. That would get my attention.
Until you teach your kids to leave the keys in the car, and until you give away your pin numbers and passwords, you can't authentically say you believe in open boarders. That's okay, because most of us are inconsistent.
What you can say is, you believe in some open boarders, just not the ones that personally impact you too much. The vast majority of the people whining about the boarders, live elsewhere. This isn't to say immigration remains an issue only at the boarder. Still, this debate seems like the latest hip bandwagon to jump on.
I don't remember any of the people who are presently criticizing how our government is dealing with our boarders, opening their homes to immigrants to live there for free until they can afford reasonable housing, or volunteering to teach an ESL class, or simply cooking a meal for a refugee family in need. It's easy to gripe and moan about how bad we are in America, how terrible our president is, how we are repeating the Japanese Concentration camps all over again, while offering only one "solution" which is to just open the borders. Again, please dismantle your locks and open all of your windows too.
I have several friends from south of the boarder, people who I deeply respect. Some of the hardest working, morally-balanced, family-centered, good people I know speak Spanish as their native tongue. Many of these folks followed a process that led to citizenship. You should ask some of them what they think about this situation and how they feel about the folks who don't try to follow the rules.
But what about the families that are being ripped apart? Many voices are crying out about justice and mercy, and fairness. I get that, we all want what's fair. But what's fair about millions of people who disregard the rules that have kept society together and civilization whole for thousands of years, knowingly putting their children in harms way when they chose to break the law? Borders that aren't enforced, aren't borders.
Please, someone, anyone, please tell me why sanctuary cities lock up City Hall at night? Why does the Mayor of a sanctuary city lock his office when he's out? Why do they lock the janitor's closet?
Again, if you say let's jettison our borders, please feel free to take the front door off of your house. Please don't protect any of your personal property if you think an open boarder or blind-amnesty is the solution to our present crisis. It's our inconsistencies that have us upset, angry, and mad at each other. There are plenty of hypocrites on both sides of the fence on this issue, don't add to that list.
Our government's recent immigration ban sent shockwaves across the globe and it has polarized an already divided nation. As a result, many people are citing Scripture on how we should treat refugees. The reality is, we need to be more careful when we try to use the Bible to support our contemporary political stances. The politics of Ancient Israel and those of the Greco Roman world, bear little resemblance to our American Republic.
Without understanding the historical and political context of any passage of Scripture, we risk misrepresenting the original idea of the text. Here’s where it gets dicey, especially since it’s nearly impossible to use logic and reason when dealing with emotional circumstances. The Bible, especially the Old Testament, wasn’t penned in a democratic culture. The Old Testament was delivered during a Theocracy, and the New Testament was written under the rule of emperors.
It’s a poor student of the Word who views ancient passages through the filter of their contemporary culture, we are called to do just the opposite. We must filter our modern day life through the lens of the Scriptures. Bridging the two worlds together is possible, but it comes with more than a little effort.
Another problem, perhaps even a greater issues, is the way some people cherry pick passages of the Bible to support their views on any given stance. So, for example, when people quote from the book of Leviticus to support the idea that we should offer all refugees a special treatment, it’s an interpretive mistake to not also realize two important facts. There was a specific context that made sense to the Israelites, a personal experience which they understood, since they once were refugees, and secondly, their borders weren’t fully established yet. They would be expanding their borders, the Israelites were entering the process of acquiring more land while forcefully expelling six particular nations, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Why would God command the Israelites to remove these six nations from the soon to be inherited Promised Land? Those six nations were ruthless, violent, dangerous, and pagan people who would harm the Israelites in many ways. Destroy those seven nations and love the sojourner were commands that were given simultaneously to the ancient nation of Israel, like a two-sided coin. It’s disingenuous to only polish one half of that coin.
Back to Leviticus, especially Lev 19:33-34. “33 When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, andyou shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” This is pretty cut and dry. Be kind to the people passing through your country, love those who are displaced or relocating. But just a few verses before this passage in Lev 19:28, the Israelites are prohibited from getting tattoos. And in the next chapter, Lev 20:10, people who commit adultery are to be put to death. Why would we, culturally, pick one part over the others to obey?
Something else to consider. The New Testament, which was written under the reign of dictators and emperors, has specific guidelines for believers when it comes to submitting to their government, see the first part of Romans chap 13 for example. Our government has well established laws on establishing citizenship. There are real established borders. We need to respect these laws, and we should probably expect people who want to join us to respect these principles as well. But are our laws fair?
The Bible isn’t merely filled with warm fuzzy affirmations of do-gooding, it’s complex and it’s easily used to justify any stance we want to take, when we don’t take the time and exert the effort to understand it. Nearly 100% of the Old Testament commands on how to treat refugees are tied to the principle, “You know what it felt like.” Read them and see if each of the passages also remind the Israelites of their painful past.
But what about the general command to love our neighbors as ourselves? I can't argue with that. But what is America’s track record of showing compassion for indigenous tribes, of taking care of our elderly, of housing our homeless, and protecting abused peoples already?
By this point, you might be wondering about my views on the current refugee crisis. It doesn’t matter what I think about how we should treat refugees if I cherry pick which subcultures I want to defend. I think it’s a huge mistake, attempting to apply the doctrine of Love only when it’s popular, defiant, or hip, while we continually neglect tons of people who are already in need.
If that didn't make sense, watch this and maybe you'll get the point:
