United States (MNN) — Jehiel Ortiz is a missionary with Trans World Radio who works to reach Spanish-speakers in the United States for Christ. In the current tensions about immigration enforcement in the U.S., Ortiz urges Christians to pray for what goes on inside people, not only for the divisive circumstances.
That’s not to set aside the complexities and real concerns on how U.S. law is being carried out or resisted. Instead, it’s an invitation to look at what people experience in their hearts —things like fear, uncertainty, distrust, hatred, division, which God isn’t afraid to talk about in Scripture.
There are hard realities in the United States today. “We know, as a Latino community in the United States, that there are a lot of people who are not legally in the United States,” Ortiz says. “We cannot cover the sun with a finger, as we say in Spanish.”
Photo courtesy of Tucker Good via Unsplash
At the same time, many people in the Latino community are in the United States legally. Yet they are still at risk of the uncomfortable experience of being interrogated by law officers.
Even for those who have their documentation in order, “many people decide to be in very low profile in their work, where they study, where they live,” says Ortiz.
This is having a very real effect on church congregations in the U.S.
As part of his ministry, Ortiz interacts with many pastors across different denominations. He says, “The Hispanic churches are dealing with many uncertainties, because many pastors have to be counselors and lawyers at the same time, and are trying to give hope to their flock.” He says they’re asking questions such as, “Is it safe to have a meeting in our church on Sunday? Is it not safe? How are we going to do that? Are we going to broadcast the church service online or gather in person?”
“Pray for endurance in the middle of this situation. Pray for the pastors who are dealing with that,” says Ortiz. “They need wisdom. They need support.”
“From my perspective, most of the pastors don’t want to call people to rebel [against] the government. I don’t think that’s the feeling. Most of them are saying, ‘Hey, let’s try to [find] the better way to approach this matter.’ It’s a kind of tricky situation at the moment.”
(More from Ortiz on a better way for Christians to respond in a previous report this week.)
Peace despite polarization
“You find in social media what you want to see,” Ortiz says. “The algorithm [gives] you the information that you are looking for.”
That’s why it’s crucial to pray for the peace of Christ in the United States today — for immigrants, law officers, and their communities. Pray against fear, anger, and hatred. Pray that people will find peace with God, which will lead to peace with others.
(Photo courtesy of TWR/RTM 360)
“I know we can [pray for] no more killings, no more difficult situations. Of course, you can pray for that, but that will not solve the problem. The problem is inside the people,” says Ortiz.
RTM USA, TWR’s Spanish-language ministry, recently created the podcast Esperanza en el Camino (Hope Along the Way) to offer biblical, practical hope for immigrants.
“The idea of ‘Hope Along the Way’ is that the people [who listen] understand that more than anything, what they need is Jesus,” says Ortiz. “We tell you, ‘What you need is the gospel more than anything. With God, you can face anything, you can endure anything.’”
Header photo is a stock image courtesy of Gift Habeshaw via Unsplash.
