Interesting Day

I remember David Chadwell telling about a brother who was being considered for the eldership in a small church. Another brother was adamant that he not be appointed because he was a member of the Teamsters union who had gone out on strike against a local plant the year before. And the Bible specifically says that an elder is not to be a striker (1 Tim 3:3 in the KJV). Paul was talking about a man’s disposition to violence rather than his membership in a labor union. But being a striker is on my mind this morning.

We almost did not get to make this California trip because the Delta pilots were threatening to go out on strike. Delta was trying to stop corporate hemorrhaging by cutting back on benefits paid to pilots, and the pilots were set to strike… 10 days before our trip. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed—both management and the pilots understood that any strike by the financially troubled airline would bring down the whole company. So they settled.

Today we’re looking at another strike. Here we are in California on the day that a strike has been called for all immigrants to shower their power and solidarity. As a way to emphasize how much our country depends on non-citizen workers and to show support for the movement to legalize the status of those here illegally, all immigrants have been called to boycott work, school and shopping today. There will likely be rallies and protests. Some will work but buy nothing; others will protest at lunch breaks or rallies after work. This is an attempt to shut down the economy for one day to show how important immigrant workers are to our economic system. How will that effect us here in our timeshare at Avila Beach? Well, the coffee was made this morning when I came down at 5:00 a.m. That’s a good sign!

If you were expecting some witty observation or insightful proposal for a solution to the issues driving this boycott, then you really came to the wrong blog! I appreciate the struggle of people to create a new life by coming to this country. Hey, I grew up down the road from Jamestown and Williamsburg hearing stories of Captain John Smith and Christopher Newport and their hearty band of adventurers who came to the New World looking for that new life. Of course, Chief Powhatan may tell another story about how important it is to control immigration if you want to perverse your way of life. No witty slogans or simple answers will be offered here because there are none that help.

My perspective is simple… or maybe simplistic. Every face (black, white, brown) that we will see on TV in those crowds participating in marches and protests and rallies is a person created in the image of God to live in relationship with God. The problem with issues like this one (those without simple and clear answers) is that they tend to polarize people into groups. And when you look at groups and issues and protests, very often you fail to see people. Those who walk in the way of the Christ will never fail to focus on people who God loves and for whom Christ died… no matter which side of the aisle they may be on a particular issue. In fact, there should be a warm place in our heart for the aliens and strangers among us, for ultimately Christians are aliens and strangers in the world (1 Pet 1:1, 1:17, 2:11).

Well, if you excuse me, I’ve gotta go get cleaned up. I want to see what Wal-Mart looks like with no workers nor shoppers!