first they came for the toddlers...

For people of conscience - of a particular faith, no faith, or all of the above - the current Department of Justice policy of separating children from their parents who have tried to enter this country between official US/Mexico border is mean-spirited and wrong. To enter the US without permission is a misdemeanor. To be ripped from a mother's breast is a crime against God, neighbor and all that is decent. All too often, however, that is where our current leadership draws their inspiration: not from whatever is good, true, noble and beautiful (as the Apostle Paul truly urged) but rather whatever is cruel, viscous and of short-sighted political advantage. To be sure, the Attorney General can quote Scripture out of context to bless his ugly actions, but he won't go unchallenged.

Yesterday, one of my go to scholars - Diana Butler Bass - shared a synthesis of the true Biblical context for Romans 13. You may recall that Jeff Sessions quoted this text as one justification for tearing immigrant children from their parents. Mr. Sessions doubled-down on his immature and self-serving reading of the Bible again today but the local Roman Catholic bishop in Scranton, PA ripped him a new one with a deep comment about God's will towards the stranger, the immigrant, and those who are vulnerable. Ms. Bass summarizes the scholarship of the late Marcus Borg re: St. Paul's rational for urging Roman believers to lay low as follows:

Some contemporary scholars believe that (Romans 13 offers) a parenthetical section in the text because the overall argument does not flow in ways typical of Paul's writing. Others insist that these verses were not universal principles of political theology. Instead, Paul was addressing a very particular problem of Jewish Christian who lived in Rome, c. mid-50s. The Roman church was ethnically split between Jewish and Gentile believers. The Jews were influenced by politics in Palestine, where a rising ride of revolutionary Jewish nationalism was occurring at the time of this letter's writing. A large group of Jews had just returned to Rome from exile in Palestine and were, most likely, influenced by this revolutionary spirit. They joined the Roman Christian community, which was largely Gentile and pagan in background. Thus, there was probably an emerging schism within the Roman church. And, with Nero now on the throne, the LAST thing Christians in Rome could afford was a split. They needed to be unified to face down imperial pressure and persecution.

Thus, Paul was writing with a pastoral and ecclesiastical concern: church unity. Paul's plea to be subject to governing authorities must be understood in this context -- he wanted to contain an emerging radical Jewish nationalism that could have undone the fragile unity of a community under threat. In essence, he says that Jewish nationalist Christians should accept the rule of the Empire in order to prevent another expulsion from Rome. Paul knows Rome stinks. He knows it is a brutal, unjust, horrible empire. It murdered Jesus for pity's sake. Most Paul's works are subtle or not-so-subtle subversions of Rome. He sometimes seems to argue for submission on occasion -- mostly as a way of protecting the safety and well being of the church. He freaking hates Rome. 

If a political authority usurps this verse to enforce obedience, it is an abominable misuse of the Bible. It isn't an instruction for citizens. It is a specific teaching for a particular problem in early Christianity-of the potential for nationalism to override Christian love. Romans 13:1-7 is Paul the Pragmatist at work, not Paul the Universal Theologian.

Fr. James Martin, a Jesuit, hits it out of the ball park with this concise summary of what REAL Scriptural on this matter looks like.

Earlier today I saw protest signs, "First they came for the toddlers..." In truth, the contemporary paraphrase of Pastor Niemöller's confession should read: First they came for the immigrants - and I did nothing because I was a white citizen of privilege who is afraid of foreigners. Then they came for the immigrant toddlers and...." Resistance is tiring. It is costly. It is what the Lord asks of us at this moment no matter how you understand the word Lord.

In early July our band, Famous Before We're Dead, will be hosting a series of house concerts as fund-raisers to fight this administration's unholy and anti-American actions. Watch for details...