Editorial October 7, 2019 Issue

Wrapping our prayers around the immigration crisis

Elizabeth Schaefer

I live in a city in the United States close to the Mexican border, where immigration has long been a part of daily community life. I’ve benefited from the influx of business resulting from international trade and have enjoyed friendships with those who have come from other countries. But I’ve also been saddened by the human tragedies that have occurred, the illegal drug runners flying unmarked planes low over pastures, and the increasing political attention and divisiveness the immigration issue has engendered.

This issue and other world problems call for prayers that make a difference. Christian Science explains that whatever we realize as true of God and His creation on an individual level is also true of God and His creation on a global scale. It’s not the scale of the problem but the view of God that makes the difference.

Until recently, praying about the immigration crisis just seemed too complex. But the urgency of the situation was brought home to me when violence took the lives of innocent people in El Paso, Texas, where I also have family. I knew I needed to pray about the crisis, but where to start? If I started with the problem, I’d be perpetually overwhelmed. But if I started with God, I could get traction.

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Bible Lens—October 7–13, 2019