Knowing that God is With Us

One afternoon when my husband was briefing me on his conversation with a sixteen-year-old immigrant boy, Alfredo burst into tears as he said aloud, for the first time, that the youngster he'd been counseling had confided that he'd lived for many weeks in a cage. He'd been locked in a room with many other boys, all of them in cages. It is one thing to try and imagine this, but when you are actually told by an innocent child that he'd been subjected to something like this, it is very hard to bear. Our chosen task of walking alongside the immigrant community is one that should bring us all a sense of pride, knowing that God is with us, helping us to recognize the truth and to stand up for justice. God is always about welcoming the foreigners and strangers. This important act is even a sign of our faithfulness to God, obeying God's command to take care of the widows, orphans and strangers. There is much work to be done, but the inspiration to accomplish it can be as simple as listening to a struggling soul searching for help. I have never been one to be publicly protesting or standing in a picket line. But I know the beauty in crying together with mothers and children who need so desperately to know that the love of God exists; and that there is joy after the pain and hurt.

Hebrews 13:2 King James Version (KJV):

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."