“Advent in the Age of Broken Borders and the so-called ‘Christian Nation’”

In this Advent season, we long for light in a world heavy with shadows, in the age of broken borders, and in era of social and political injustices toward the most vulnerable groups in society, especially immigrant families.

Advent is the story of a God who steps into human history, and this God-Man in the person of the Jewish Palestinian Jesus, the adopted son of a poor Jewish carpenter (Joseph) and the biological son of a poor Jewish peasant (Mary), experienced the uncertainty of a broken world and the vulnerability of human condition in his milieu. This God, who became a “human being,” an immigrant on earth in the land of Egypt, did not disrupt the country of his birth with the power of empire but with the vulnerability of a child so that the poor, the immigrant, and the disfranchised may hear good news, the oppressed may rise, and the broken may be restored.

Yet we come to this season with honest questions: How can we sing “Joy to the World” while immigrant families weep in our communities and cities, as well as at our borders?

How can we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace while the homeless and the vulnerable do not have a place to rest their heads and foods to put on their tables?

How can we light candles of hope when children of God are being detained, deported, and dehumanized?

How can we proclaim peace in a nation that calls itself Christian, yet turns its back on the stranger and the undocumented Christ commands us to welcome?

Further, Advent invites us to face these tensions with truth, love, and compassion. For the Christ we await is the Christ who confronts the cruelty of political powers, who identifies Himself with the refugee, the oppressed, and the displaced. The birth of Jesus is not a sentimental escape; it is God’s uprising against systems of darkness and structures of human oppressionand degradation. As we enter this Advent meditation, we dare to believe that Christ still comes among the vulnerable, still calls the powerful to account, and still summons his people to practice radical hospitality, courageous compassion, and justice that mirrors his kingdom and the Jesus’ Way.

Advent reminds us that your country of origin does not determine your destiny or your worth. No birthplace makes one person more human than another. It reinforces the fundamental belief that every human being carries equal value, regardless of country or origin.

Advent is not merely a season of waiting. It is a season of awakening, a moment to express radical compassion and love, and a reflective season to defend the weak and advocate for the most vulnerable people in our communities, cities, and states. Advent is about God’s radical freedom and grace, human liberation from all forms of oppression, and it reminds us about our shared humanity and responsibility towards all God’s children, especially the refugees, the immigrants, and the undocumented.