Warren has been volunteering with No More Deaths for six years. Like many others who volunteer on the border, leaving out water and providing medical aid to those lost in the desert, he says he is motivated by his religious beliefs. Over the years he has found dozens of human remains in the desert from people who died from the harsh conditions. No More Deaths said in a tweet in response to the verdict “We will continue to provide food, water, and medical aid to all those who need it, until the day that no one dies or disappears while crossing the deserts and oceans of the world.”
This verdict is validation of what we have always known: that #humanitarianaidisneveracrime
— No More Deaths (@NoMoreDeaths) November 20, 2019
We will continue to provide food, water, and medical aid to all those who need it, until the day that no one dies or disappears while crossing the deserts and oceans of the world.
I’ve encountered many Christians in the past several years who would disagree with the verdict. Even within my own church I have gotten into debates with people who think that the undocumented immigrants being separated from their children and subjected to inhumane treatment in detention centers deserve their fate because they broke the law. That is one thing I will never be able to agree to disagree on though. Compassion is never wrong. Helping those in need is never wrong. Ensuring every human being is treated with dignity is never wrong. Undocumented immigrants do not make the life-threatening journey across the desert on a whim or because they want to flaunt our laws. They make the journey because they are fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries. And even if we set aside that fact, migrants like the ones that Warren helped deserve compassion and life-saving aid because they are human beings.
Asa Mahan, abolitionist, Methodist pastor, and the first president of Adrian College, taught the concept of intrinsic worth. He believed that all human beings have worth simply because we are created in God’s image, and nothing we or anyone else can do can take away that worth. For that reason, Mahan worked for the abolition of slavery. I remember the first time I heard this idea, preached by the college chaplain at the very first chapel service I attended at Adrian. It was not a new revelation for me. Rather he finally put into words something I had felt for a long time. All human beings are beloved creations of God, and so we are called to treat one another with compassion and work to create a more just world for all people. This extends to all situations in which people are suffering, including those who risk their lives crossing the border in search of a better life.
Humanitarian aid is not a crime. I, and many others, breathed a sigh of relief when the verdict of Warren’s case was announced. It was a travesty that this country tried to criminalize compassion in the first place. The Bible I read teaches me that all humans have intrinsic worth. The Bible I read teaches me to love my neighbor and to stand up for the poor and oppressed. I will continue to err on the side of compassion and love in my own life. I thank God for the many volunteers who continue to offer aid to migrants in need, despite those who would attack them and try to criminalize compassion.
Sunday – Deuteronomy 8:7-20
Monday – Isaiah 4:2-6
Tuesday – Jeremiah 32:36-44
Wednesday – Psalm 103
Thursday – Matthew 5:1-12
Friday – 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Saturday – Colossians 1:1-14