Immigration Chaos

I'm hearing about the clog in the courts down in Texas where people crossing the border have been detained in systems that aren't designed for this.  There aren't enough court workers to process people quickly or at all--or to shelter them while waiting for trial.  Children have been taken from parents, but there aren't local shelters.  It breaks my heart on so many levels.

I've been thinking about it from the perspective of parents and children--to have children ripped from the arms of parents?  Are we really this country now?

This morning I'm thinking about it from the perspective of the workers on all sides.  I imagine that people who work from the law enforcement side must be somewhat used to this kind of chaos when families are forcibly separated.  But I think of court reporters and judges and all of the others who would ordinarily never see this level of sorrow.

This morning, I feel like I should do something, but I don't know what that something should be.  I'm think of my small cottage and the underground railroad.  Perhaps I should give some money to Lutheran Immigration Services, since they are probably working on this issue from an angle that I would want to support.

I can also pray.  It's good to remember that when I don't know how to fix things, I can pray.

God of all shelter, I cry to you about the state of this nation, once a safe harbor, now an additional terror.  I pray for those who came here seeking safety and new starts.  I pray for those U.S. citizens plunged into chaos as policies change on the whim of a few.  I pray for those who must now care for huge numbers of terrorized children.  I pray for my government, for softer hearts.