As some of you know, I grew up in an agricultural area. It was a wonderful way of life that shaped much of my understanding about seasons and the rhythm of creation.
Like almost all of my peers growing up, I worked in a variety of jobs associated with orchards, fields and vineyards. In fact, some of my fondest memories of working as a team to accomplish a common goal comes from working with others in the agricultural industries.
It was also while doing this work that I became friends with co-workers who were called, at the time, “migrant farm-working families.” These were folks who traveled, primarily from Mexico, every year to work in multiple sectors of the agricultural industry. These hard-working, close-knit families became not only co-workers, but friends. Many of these families came back year after year, and I grew up with their children.
With this as my perspective, witnessing families being broken apart at our borders is very painful. It’s not just my parent-button that gets pushed, but also my history with solid, hard-working people who, season in and season out, would come as a family from our southern border for the sole purpose of making a living.
Fundamentally, family, however that is manifested, is a core value for those of us who have chosen to follow in the way of Jesus. Historically, this has been a core value in our country as well.
Source: Bishop Brian Prior – The Fundamental Value of Families