The Village ILWIDIot

Walt Wiltschek 

“Don’t plot harm against your neighbor, for those who live nearby trust you.” —Prov. 3:29, NLT

Following this year’s Council of District Executive winter meetings, held in the Miami area, we spent time with some of the Brethren from Atlantic Southeast District. Much of that centered around an intercultural event hosted at Miami Haitian Church of the Brethren, along with visits to other, mostly Haitian, congregations in the region. 

It was a delightful weekend of upbeat worship, fellowship, local food, and learning. It was also shadowed by the reality many of the members there were facing: the administration’s ending of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in the US, which was set to expire Feb. 3. A federal judge’s last-minute stay put off that deadline, at least for now. 

The Haitian Brethren showed faith and resilience in the face of that threat—declaring that God would be with them no matter what—but the concern was also palpable. Haiti remains unsafe due to widespread conflict and violence that have led to a humanitarian crisis for the Caribbean nation. Southeast Florida has the largest population of Haitian immigrants in the US, and they are a significant presence among the Brethren in Florida.

The same fears can be felt in Latino communities, such as the Latino-majority high school where I work when I’m not doing church responsibilities. Other Church of the Brethren congregations have also been affected. Tragic events in Minneapolis have cast an added pall on the issue. And while members of this district have not (as far as I know) felt the direct effects of deportation that others have experienced, I’m aware of at least two families with Brethren connections who had relatives caught up in last year’s Chicago-area ICE raids. 

I moved to this country when I was a year old, but as a naturalized citizen. I’m also white. I don’t feel like I need to look over my shoulder when I go out. Not everyone is so fortunate. Most of us have challenges of some sort, but few of us have to live with the day-to-day, hour-to-hour fear of having our lives turned upside-down or being whisked away without a goodbye. 

A prayer issued by the denomination’s Deportation Defense Response Team amid the uncertainty of the Haitian situation said, “As people of faith, we cannot be silent. To Haitian sisters and brothers, be assured you are not forgotten by your church family. We pray with you.” A similar prayer could be lifted up for all those affected in these times. 

I don’t have all the answers for a sustainable immigration policy in our nation. That’s above my pay grade. But I do recognize injustice and evil when I see it so plainly, and when it stands in such stark contrast to the words and example of Jesus that I learned growing up and continue to study. Whatever our politics, however we see current events unfolding, I hope we’re able to look at our sisters and brothers in Christ and see them as our neighbors—the neighbors we’re commanded to love.