An American Parable
Read this Parable and see how it makes you feel. It reveals how far we’ve strayed from Jesus’ call to love the stranger and challenges us to change, now.
Today, I want to share a parable I wrote. It’s not scripture, but it will feel familiar, examine how it makes you feel.
Jesus said to his disciples:
A man’s hometown was destroyed by drug cartels, which had risen to power because of foreigners’ insatiable demand for drugs. Having no choice, the man packed up his family and fled, but he had no documents because the process was long, difficult, and uncertain, and the danger was immediate.
He reached a new land, built a home, and found work building homes for others. One day, while he was at work, a crowd gathered and said, “Look at this man. He does not have documents. He comes from a place of gangs and violence. He might hurt our families.”
The master of the construction yard said, “You are right; he comes from a place of great violence. Therefore, we shall place him in a cage, in a desolate place, surrounded by dangers, until he can be sent away.”
And the man was taken away. The great crowd cheered, for they believed they had protected themselves and saw that he was dealt with.
The Gospel of the Lord.
It’s jarring, isn’t it?
You might have felt a catch in your chest as you read it. A wave of discomfort. Maybe even anger. It sounds like the Gospels, but it feels wrong. That’s because it is wrong. It is completely contrary to the teachings of Jesus, who calls us to welcome the stranger, to love our neighbor, to protect those fleeing violence and poverty.
Yet this is exactly what we have done as a nation. We have justified cruelty with fear. We have locked children in cages and families in detention centers, claiming it is necessary for our safety. We have celebrated policies that exile, punish, and discard people whose only “crime” was seeking safety, just as the Holy Family once did.
If this parable makes us uncomfortable, it should. It forces us to confront the gap between the faith we profess and the policies we support or tolerate. It shines a light on the fear and cruelty we have come to accept, often without question, often in the name of “security” or “order.”
As followers of Jesus, we are called to repentance—not just in our private prayers, but in the way we shape our society. We are called to build a world that reflects the radical compassion of the Gospel, not the fearful grasping of our own self-preservation. We are called to see Christ in the migrant, the refugee, the asylum seeker, and to respond with the same love we would show Him.
It is not enough to feel uncomfortable. We must let that discomfort transform us, moving us toward compassion, advocacy, and action. We must demand policies that treat every human being with dignity. We must challenge laws and practices that perpetuate cruelty, even when it is politically inconvenient or unpopular.
Because at the end of the day, the measure of our faith is not how loudly we proclaim it, but how faithfully we live it.
May we have the courage to live the Gospel, even when it is difficult, even when it challenges us, even when it calls us to let go of fear.
And may we remember that Jesus is always found among the poor, the vulnerable, and the stranger, calling us to follow Him in the work of love.
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Social Justice Roundup
🟩 The Good
Elon Musk Vows to Block “Big Beautiful Bill”
In a surprising move, Elon Musk announced yesterday that he will throw his full weight—and funding—behind efforts to stop the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” threatening to primary any politician who votes for it and floating the idea of launching a new political party if necessary. Musk, who has clashed with the current administration over immigration and free speech issues, called the bill “a direct attack on American democracy and the rule of law.” This unexpected alliance could fracture support for the bill and buy time to rally a broader coalition against it.
Read more from Axios
🟨The Bad
Politicians and Media Tour “Alligator Alcatraz”
Journalists and lawmakers toured the controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility yesterday, a hurricane-prone site surrounded by alligator-infested waters designed to hold undocumented migrants indefinitely while bypassing judicial review. Photos released from the tour show lawmakers smiling alongside facility staff as migrants look on from behind fencing, underscoring the dehumanizing spectacle of immigration enforcement used as a political showpiece. Critics warn the facility is a moral stain on the nation, and the public tour is an attempt to normalize cruelty under the guise of border security.
🟥 The Ugly
“Big Beautiful Bill” Would Gut Judicial Oversight
Legal scholars warn the “Big Beautiful Bill” would effectively dismantle the independence of the judiciary, granting the executive branch power to ignore or override nearly any judicial ruling. The bill, pitched as a “streamlining” measure, would allow the president to designate certain rulings as “non-enforceable in the national interest” while stripping courts of authority to intervene in key immigration, election, and civil rights cases. Constitutional experts are calling it the most radical threat to checks and balances in modern U.S. history.
Full analysis from The New York Times
Today’s Homework:
Tonight, take a moment before bed to pray for the courage to stand for truth, the wisdom to see clearly, and the mercy to act with love, even when the world grows dark.