Justice and Mercy: Jesus, Trump, and Bishop Budde

There has been a LOT of discussion about Bishop Budde’s sermon at the National Prayer Service Tuesday. Most of the commentary related to that event has been political, and there is certainly a great deal of debate around immigration policy overall.

But, rather than debate whether what she said was correct politically, I would like to consider whether what she said was correct theologically. She is not a government official, and this was not a political rally. She was a Christian minister acting in the capacity of a religious leader at a prayer service, so my primary question is: “Were her words consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ?”

So let’s view each thing she said through that lens. Below is the transcript of her sermon, with my commentary:

“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you and, as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God…”

She started out by affirming the faith that the President professed the day before. This is consistent with the teachings of Paul of Tarsus. “So encourage each other and build each other up…” (1)

“…In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives…”

Jesus very clearly taught the value of mercy. He said, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (2). And he taught that we who have been shown mercy should likewise extend mercy to others. “Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (3). Notably, Jesus offers no qualifications for who deserves mercy. A key feature of mercy is that it is not deserved. It is also fair to point out that Jesus did not say we should never hold people accountable for their actions. When he encountered a thief being punished on a cross, he did not attempt to liberate him from punishment. But he did everything he could to comfort the man and give him hope (4). Based on this, Bishop Budde’s request for mercy seems very consistent with the teachings of Jesus.

“…The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings; who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants; who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals…”

Jesus always called attention to those on the margins of society, people that may be invisible to those in power. “When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me… “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me (5).”

“…They…may not be citizens or have the proper documentation. But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwaras and temples…”

This is perhaps the most political portion of her sermon, where she highlights the contribution illegal immigrants make to society. Crime rates among this population, and their impact on society and the economy should be objectively measured and researched with an open mind. But even tax-paying illegal immigrants still violated immigration laws. And, in making this point she actually distracts from a key message of Jesus: we are to extend kindness and love to all people, not just those we agree with. He taught that we should love our neighbor, and used the parable of the Samaritan to highlight that our neighbor included those from other countries and other religions (6). He also taught that we were not to reserve assistance only for those who we feel deserve it. “But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you (7).”

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“…I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. And that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land…”

I will leave discussions of specific immigration policies to others. But we should acknowledge that almost any new policy, even if legally justified, will cause a degree of human suffering. Mass deportations mean children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrant parents may be separated from them. Any deportation or restriction means people who fled starvation and war and persecution will have to return to horrible situations. As we saw above, Jesus was an advocate for the marginalized, including those who made mistakes. Even if the policies are justified, we cannot discount the human toll, especially to children.

“May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people. Good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen”

Here she references another letter of Paul of Tarsus, where he advised an early church to “...speak the truth in love.” to each other (8). Using this passage again affirms Trump’s membership in the Christian community, but reminds him this is a community where people can speak freely. The rest of her statement is essentially a paraphrase of a Hebrew prophet that Jesus would have been very familiar with, “…The Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (9)”.

Note the tension in that passage: we are to do what is right, while also loving mercy.

Embracing the tension between those two concepts is not playing both political sides. It is aligning oneself around the teachings of Jesus first, then evaluating both sides through that lens. This kind of nuance is often lost in modern political discourse, but it does not have to be. It is possible to embrace difficult realities with a compassion that honors the teachings of Jesus.

In the spirit of peacemaking and finding common ground, I put together a statement I would hope both President Trump and Bishop Budde would agree on. And more importantly, I would hope these words would honor the God that both the President and the Bishop invoked.

Straight Talk on Immigration

The United States is a remarkable place, full of opportunity and prosperity. We are a nation of newcomers and outsiders, and that has always been a part of our story. There are a great many people around the world suffering the blight of poverty and war and persecution, often through no fault of their own. And understandably, they long for the dream this nation offers.

But much of this nation's success has been built upon the rule of law. Without respect for the law, the dream of America unravels quickly. Millions of people have come to these shores the right way, according to the law, and they are welcome in our community. But out of respect for them, and for the millions of others who might follow them via legal means, we must enforce our laws. We have to curtail unrestricted illegal immigration.

This is the right thing to do for the people of this nation, and it must be done. But we do not celebrate the human suffering it will cause. We do not celebrate the many who will lose a chance at a better life. We do not cheer the pain of others. Humans living with poverty or violence or persecution is a tragedy. And the United States will continue to be a force for promoting human thriving around the world. But to do that, we first need to ensure stability here at home. And as we enforce our laws, we commit to doing so with compassion and respect for human dignity, especially for the children who are in circumstances beyond their control.

We are a people of justice, but also of mercy.

NOTES

(1) 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

(2) Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

‭‭(3) Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭36‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

(4) ‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭33‬, ‭39‬-‭43‬ ‭CEV‬‬

(5) ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭35‬-‭40‬ ‭CEV‬‬

(6) ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬-‭37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

(7) Luke 6:27-28 NIV

(8) Ephesians 4:15 NLT

(9) Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬