Martin Navarro is a member of Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Indiana.    

Do not fear, you worm Jacob,

    you insect Israel!

    I will help you, says the LORD;

    your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

   Now, I will make of you a threshing sledge,

    sharp, new, and having teeth;

    you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,

    and you shall make the hills like chaff.

   You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them away,

    and the tempest shall scatter them.

    Then you shall rejoice in the LORD;

    in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

   When the poor and needy seek water,

    and there is none,

    and their tongue is parched with thirst,

    I the LORD will answer them,

    I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

    I will open rivers on the bare heights,

    and fountains in the midst of the valleys. Isaiah 41:14-18a

The Biblical narrative tells different stories of people that are persecuted, or are “on the move.” Usually this movement occurs after a new ruler takes power. One story that is common amongst Christians is the story of Maria and José [1] (Mary and Joseph). Another story that might not carry is when the fall of Jerusalem forces a deportation of refugees.

Given our current political context, it seems like this story repeats itself.

Posadas y Jésus

In this season, different countries in Latin America celebrate Advent and Christmas with different traditions. One tradition in particular is called posadas, and it depicts different social issues that many immigrants face in our current day. The definition of the word “posada,” means lodging or accommodation. The cultural tradition itself consists of gathering with family, singing Christmas songs, and reenacting part of the story of Maria and José. The reenacting is focused on the time period when Maria and José were seeking hospitality after fleeing potential persecution. The idea of Maria and José seeking “Posada,” meant that they were seeking accommodations; instead they experience hostility and an unwillingness by people to be hospitable.

Maria and José experienced what many Latin@’s[2] face: not being wanted, rejected by society, seen as a problem, or inconvenience; not being welcomed or having to live your life in the margins of society. Several Latin@’s not only experience a feeling of not belonging in this country, but due to dire economic situations they are constantly on the move searching for a decent life. Inevitably, Latin@s become exiled by those in power. Similar to the story of Maria and Jose, many Latino@ s are searching for that Posada!

The Exilic period that never ends

Following the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BCE, there was a deportation of Judean captives to Babylon. The interesting thing is that in Hebrew the word used for exile and captive (גּוֹלָה) was often the same. This parallel makes sense: being held captive by a social system that inevitably attempts to deport you. After the fall, the Israelites experience a mass deportation. They were separated from their homes and probably even lost their families. Several were living in “limbo.” A Mexican woman actor named María Elena Velasco created a character, La India Maria, that describes this feeling the best, “ ni de aqui ni de alla,” (neither from here or from there).  They were stuck in an undocumented immigrant dilemma.

The prophetic literature in Isaiah gives strong dependency on the Lord for salvation. Salvation itself might have a different meaning in our current day, but I am convinced that maybe these words might have given these immigrants some sort of hope. The reality is that hope in a time of Advent seems dims, because “the needy seek water, and they have been thirsty for a long time” (Isaiah 41:17).

Will the rivers ever open?

It is no surprise that many Latin@s this Christmas season are not receiving posadas. Instead, after this presidential election we are living in fear. The future is uncertain, and many families are at risk. The little progress that was given to Dreamers is at risk (Dreamers are individuals brought to the United States without documents as children, who were eligible to receive legal status under the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act). There are families fearful of being part of a mass deportation. As Isaiah says it: “the rivers are drying, and people’s thirst is quenched.”

Those rivers of justice are needed more now than ever before.

Hospitality has never been part of the daily Latin@ experience. We search for posadas, but all we find is hatred! We search for justice and receive immigration detention centers. The future does not seem promising and the valley seems dry.

We are waiting for the fountains. We are waiting for open rivers.

The Magnificat (A song of justice)

In the Gospel of Luke ,Maria’s song gives us promises of hope. She sings of a world that does not make sense for those in power, but makes complete sense for those in the margins. As I read this song, I hold on to these words of hope and liberation:

And Mary said,

    “My soul magnifies the Lord,

    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

    for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

    and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him

    from generation to generation.

   He has shown strength with his arm;

    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

   He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

    and lifted up the lowly;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

    and sent the rich away empty.

   He has helped his servant Israel,

    in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. Luke 1:46-56

[1] I use the Spanish names of Mary and Joseph, because of the different interpretation of the text in Latin@ churches. In Anglo churches the reality of escaping persecution does not connect the same in comparison to Latin@ churches. The accent is not only Spanish grammar; rather, it grasps the concept of a cultural interpretation that Maria and Jose experienced. The accent is used for Jesus to make a statement that he is different from Western version. The Jésus with an accent is the one who experienced the discrimination and fear that many Latin@s face in an oppressive society.

[2] The @ in the end of the word Latino is intended for two reasons. First, to be gender inclusive when using the word Latino. Secondly, the @ describes the place where theology and interpretation begins: the social location/experience.

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