{"id":77421,"date":"2021-10-11T03:00:37","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T07:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ignatiansolidarity.net\/?p=77421"},"modified":"2021-10-10T10:11:22","modified_gmt":"2021-10-10T14:11:22","slug":"a-world-where-nothing-is-impossible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ignatiansolidarity.net\/blog\/2021\/10\/11\/a-world-where-nothing-is-impossible\/","title":{"rendered":"A World Where Nothing is Impossible"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY CHRISTOPHER KERR<\/a><\/strong> | October 11, 2021<\/em>
\nSunday’s Readings<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
\n<\/span>than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

How hard is it to fit a camel through the eye of a needle?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I got a better understanding of the answer to this question during a recent trip to the U.S.-Mexico border<\/a>, where I joined Catholic leaders from across the U.S., both lay and religious, at the invitation of migrant families seeking asylum. The families have been organizing to bring attention to Title 42, the Trump Administration policy sustained by President Biden that stops migrants from making legal asylum claims by citing public health risks related to the pandemic.\"nothing<\/span><\/p>\n

After a march and rally through the streets of Nogales in Sonora, Mexico, the families assembled with faith leaders who would accompany them to the port of entry as they made their claim for asylum. I had the honor of walking with Karla (pseudonym) and her two children, ages 4 and 11, who fled Guatemala after her husband was killed because the family could not pay an extortion fee. I stood behind Karla at the gate, holding her daughter while her son stood next to me. She pleaded with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to have her claim for asylum heard.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After begging the CBP officers to listen to her story, <\/span>Karla asked me to speak to them in English, to ask them if they would listen. I raised my voice and said to the officer, \u201cThese people need to be heard, will you please listen?\u201d They barely acknowledged me and never acknowledged Karla. I felt powerless to help her at that moment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another family came to the gate with Bishop Weisenerberger, the Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Tucson, Arizona. After ignoring the family for many minutes, the U.S. border agents proceeded to close the border crossing, lowering a gate as Juanita (pseudonym), the family\u2019s mother, pleaded for her request for asylum to be heard. They literally shut the gate in her face.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.
\n<\/span><\/i>All things are possible for God.”\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In yesterday\u2019s Gospel, Jesus invites us into the immensity of how God sees the world and challenges us to em<\/span>brace that vision, as well. All things are possible in this vision\u2014compassion without blinders, unceasing hospitality to those in need, and never ending love. Rather than seeing the challenge of welcoming a migrant family seeking assistance, God sees a world where no one in need, including the migrant family, is turned away\u2014where nothing is impossible.<\/p>\n

Fitting a camel through the eye of a needle is not easy. But if we want to get into the Kingdom, we better give it a shot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Reflection:<\/b><\/h3>\n