Sharing communion last Sunday, with a congregation divided by our US border fence, reminded me just how much work remains to be done in remembrance of Christ. Our border much more easily dismembers the human community.
The broken bread, handed through the fence in violation of the US Customs rules our Border Patrol says they're to enforce, became a vivid symbol of our own division. In sharing it, we mark our belonging together.
It seems to me that whatever border policies we might choose for our national interests are irrelevant to our call to see one another as brothers and sisters in Christ across this fence. In our Christian practice, if we are going to take Christ's salvation seriously, we must be willing to share this sacrament across anything that might seek to divide us.
Of course, once you've shared in holy moments together, it's hard to imagine advocating for a policy that would treat others as anything less than people of infinite worth.
I suppose that's part of why I love communion so much: it makes Jesus real. Sharing the broken bread helps me know and taste that Jesus really meant those wild and crazy things he said.
4 comments:
Wow, just passing by and am amazed at what is happening! Awesome stuff, in the name of Jesus anything is achievable! Take care :)
what a powerful service! what congregation did you commune with?
Seeing the fence all along the border on our recent trip to CA from NE was very disturbing! We were stopped several times on the USA side for security too! It was a reminder of the "ugly american" image up close and personal. In reality the fence on the border separates families even many miles away in our town in NE too! What do you accomplish by separating parents from children?? Communion is the reminder of Christ's love for ALL God's Children -- and the love we can show at Friendship park rather than separation and FEAR! And a company from NE is profitting from building all these many fences! Seeing the remaining Berlin Wall a few years ago raises painful images in my mind and the hopes of tearing down all of our walls and fences to help families nurture children!
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