Living a Christian life, loving others, in the reality that is this world means that we cannot ignore what is happening around us. Wishful thinking might avoid politics, but I find there are things that I must confront.

One of the big lies perpetuated in the recent election has been that immigrants and refugees pose a great threat to our personal safety and national security. This, my friends, is simply not true! What is the result of this misinformation? Of course, the aim was to make people fearful. Fearful people want a “strong” leader. But what is the result of fear of “the other” – those who speak another language, look or dress differently from you, whose culture is different, or those whose religion or sexual status is different?

When you see people as “other” you are not seeing them as human beings, as children of God. The result is a very unChristian nation! Yes, that is what I said. When you fear rather than welcoming the person who is different from you, then you are not following Christ. Look at Matthew 25:33 – 35, “and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” The passage goes on, but I want to stop here to emphasize that the Christian response is one of welcome, not one of exclusion or isolation!

Jesus also said, “Love your neighbor” and “Love your enemy”. Pray that we may be people of love.