Saturday, June 23, 2018

HELPING HANDS, HOPEFUL HEARTS


     Although I was only four and a half years old then, I still have clear memories of our family's immigration to America in March 1957. It was a typical cold, grey Dutch day in Amsterdam, as evidenced by the woolen clothes we were wearing when we boarded the plane (shown above). It was mighty hot, dry and dusty when we stepped off the train three exhausting days of travel later in the small, rural town of New Braunfels, which, like the rest of Texas, was in the middle of a record-breaking heat spell and seven-year drought.
 
THAT WAS THEN
     I clearly remember feeling overwhelmed and confused by the bright, hot sun overhead, reflected off the caliche gravel underfoot, the puzzling sounds of the language, the odd tastes of the food we were offered by the kind strangers who met us. I can't begin to imagine how frightening it would've been, had we been met by armed guards dragging my parents away, leaving me and my three brothers stranded, totally alone and helpless in such foreign surroundings.
 
THIS IS NOW
     That's why it's hard for me to be objective about the humanitarian crisis unfolding along the US-Mexico border. I'll spare you the details of my reactions to the stories and images that have been swirling through the media recently, and won't even start on my opinions about our national priorities and immigration policies, because I'm sure you've got plenty of your own.
     But as the adoptive father of a Latino son, and the son of parents who fled from revolutionary violence in their native country of Indonesia, then endured racial discrimination in the Netherlands before immigrating to America in hopes of a better life, I cannot help but lift up a plea for compassion for those seeking refuge in our midst. Thousands of them are literally our neighbors, being held in numerous nearby detention camps scattered throughout South Texas, while the "lucky ones" pass through San Antonio's streets, bus station and airport, dazed, disoriented and confused, having been released from detention and heading northward, usually without any assistance and only limited resources.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
     I'm not writing to label anyone as a victim or villain; there's plenty of that going on, and it doesn't seem particularly helpful. Instead, I take heart in the work of the many, many caring volunteers who have generously offered their time, talent and resources to help alleviate the suffering. If you live locally, and are inclined to be among them, but don't know where to turn, http://SACompassion.net is the website for Compassionate San Antonio, a powerful, grassroots network of faith-based organizations (including Celebration Circle), businesses, individuals and educational institutions which is actively working together with local government officials to foster compassion in our midst. Among other things, their website offers a list of local organizations taking specific action to support detained immigrants and their children in South Texas; you can access the website here.
 
WHAT YOU COULD DO
     Compassionate San Antonio is also hosting a Vigil For Humanity this Sunday, June 24, from 6pm-8pm on Main Plaza in downtown San Antonio. I invite you to join me and the many others for a time for interfaith prayer, as well as opportunities to connect with organizations working directly with detained immigrant children and families. Please consider joining us in lifting our hopes, prayers and actions in a powerful, positive way.
     If that's not an option for you, I urge you to find your own way to lend a helping hand and/or open your heart to the strangers among us seeking refuge. Not just for their sake, but for yours. To do otherwise would be to ignore who you truly are, both as a member of homo sapiens - the mammalian species uniquely hard-wired to be conscious, caring and compassionate toward others - as well as the emergent sub-species which some are calling homo universalis, the Universal Humans, the ones who are aware of their inherent divinity and Oneness with all Life.

At least, that's my understanding, and I'm grateful for this opportunity to share it with you.
     Rudi Harst

THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.


http://www.celebrationcircle.org/donate


No comments:

Post a Comment