Let's Be Better

For the last eight years my family and I have called the Rio Grande Valley our home. We have bought our first home here, our children were born here, we have worshiped here, and we have served this amazing community through our careers. The Valley has and will always have a special place in our hearts as a land of opportunity, grit, family centeredness, fantastic food, and cultural diversity; it has helped us shape who we are in our faith, love for family, and duty to community.

We were in disbelief as we watched the chaos that engulfed our TV screens and Social Media feeds on January 6th. My wife and I were plainly overwhelmed as we watched insurrectionists take control of the United States Capitol after attending a rally where our sitting President continues to utilize inflammatory language that stirred confusion, hatred, division, and evil in the hearts of those in attendance. We spent the following days speaking with friends and family about the events of that dark day, and a theme started to form in my mind: I found comfort in being so far away from Washington D.C. these last year.

This morning I woke up unusually early; I tossed and turned for about 30 minutes and decided to get up. As I have done many mornings before I spent time drinking a cup of coffee, praying, reading the Bible, and exercising. After catching my breath, I went outside to retrieve the local newspaper form our driveway. But before coming back inside I spent a few minutes watching a beautiful Valley sunrise and the cooling down in the soft breeze of a Valley winter.

As I opened the paper, I was greeted with these words: “Just six days after a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol and eight days before the inauguration of Joe Biden, President Trump is coming to the Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday to end four tumultuous years next to the steel and stone manifestation of the symbol that propelled him to the head of the nation: the wall.”

The Wall. On New Year’s Day, we took our boys on a hike of Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, headquarters of the World Birding Center. I have come to know this little oasis well these last eight years as I coordinated visits and even camps for at-risk youth and their families inside its facilities. Bentsen has always been a place of refuge for me, a place where I can connect with nature and with God. It provided a refuge for the busy life of a young husband, father, and social services professional. But this last trip was different. Welcoming us stood the wall, guarded by armed military personnel. My children will never know the peace and tranquility that it once brought me, as steel and stone now become the central figure in the landscape.

This last week people all over the Valley have been preparing for the President’s visit. Many of his supporters have conducted the usual demonstrations today: big trucks, and big Trump and US flags. Others have strongly opposed the Presidents visit. Someone even took a full page on the paper that read: “YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. FUERA!”

I can’t help but to think about the immense sacrifices and struggles of my parents, as they sought to provide a better life for my siblings and me. I can’t help but to think about the myriad of immigrants from generations past gone who worked and toiled to build a more welcoming United States of America. I can’t help but to think about another fellow immigrant – Jesus – when he said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

As I reflected on the events of these last few days, I have come to the realization that the comfort I felt from being so far away from D.C. is just an illusion. Hatred, violence, division, and animosity is already at our backyards, and maybe even within our souls. I took a moment today, to examine my own life and see where I have been at fault; and I also realize that although this world is filled with evil and chaos, the beauty, wonder, excitement, love, and peace found in this world far outweighs darkness. I believe God created the world that way; we are the ones who keep messing it up.

I yearn for a time where we can bring back civil dialog. I hope for a time when we can come together on the areas where we can find common ground. I pray for a community that learns to love and respect each other, even when disagreements are abound. Don’t you think it is time for us to move towards that? If not for us, then for the ones whom we have the privilege to love and nurture?

I am sure that many will disagree with me on a slew of issues, topics, and positions. But can we focus on the areas we agree on? Can we agree that we have a responsibility to be like Jesus? To love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Can we agree that welcoming those who think, pray, and look different than us is a calling from on High? Won’t you join me in this journey?

I pray that you do.

Let’s be better.