Signs That Ask Us to Bear Witness
by Rev. Sheri Spiritual teacher, writer, and founder of Angel Messenger
I began reading this resource today, and I found it deeply disturbing—not because of anything the authors did wrong, but because a guide like this has become necessary.
“Crossing South,” created by the American Friends Service Committee, helps people prepare for deportation or forced return to Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.
It tells families to gather medical and school records, arrange powers of attorney, prepare for the possibility of being separated from their children, and make plans for the homes, finances, and lives they may be forced to leave behind.
It warns that people’s belongings may not be returned to them during deportation. It offers guidance for avoiding extortion, kidnapping, trafficking, and other dangers after they have been sent away.
There is something especially heartbreaking about the calm, practical language of this guide. These are not abstract political arguments. These are human beings being told how to prepare for their families and lives to be torn apart.
As I read it, I could not help thinking about the incarceration and forced displacement of Japanese American families during World War II. History does not have to repeat itself in precisely the same way for us to recognize its echoes—and to recognize the dehumanization that makes such injustice possible.
Whatever someone believes about immigration policy, no human being should be treated as disposable. No child should have to wonder whether a parent will suddenly disappear. No family should have to create a survival plan because their government may tear their life apart.
Our faith cannot call us to compassion only when compassion is comfortable. We are called to see the humanity of the stranger, the frightened child, the suffering parent, and the family trying desperately to remain together.
Please take a few moments to look at this resource. Even if you do not personally need it, someone you know may—and sharing it could help it reach a family facing the unimaginable.
English:
https://afsc.org/crossing-south
Español:
https://afsc.org/es/regresando-al-sur
As we begin September, perhaps this is one of the signs we are being asked not to miss.
Not every sign arrives to reassure us. Some signs awaken our conscience. Some reveal suffering hidden behind political language and statistics. Some ask us to bear witness—to see what is happening, to remember the human beings at the center of it, and to refuse the comfort of looking away.
Bearing witness is not the same as having every answer. It begins with listening. It continues when we share what others need to know, speak with compassion, pray with sincerity, and allow another person’s suffering to matter to us.
If you know someone who may need the Crossing South resource, please share it with them privately and safely. It is available in both English and Spanish.
If you or someone you love is living with the fear of deportation, family separation, or forced return, you are also welcome to add a prayer to the Angel Messenger Prayer Wall. Please protect your privacy by leaving out immigration status, addresses, locations, and other identifying details. You need only share as much as feels safe.
As always, I will be holding immigrant families, separated families, and all those living beneath this fear in prayer.
May those who are frightened be surrounded by protection.
May those who feel forgotten know that their lives matter.
May hardened hearts awaken to compassion.
And may we have the courage not only to recognize suffering, but to bear faithful witness to it.
With love, compassion, and a prayer for justice,
Rev. Sheri
Founder of Angel Messenger
You Are Welcome at Our Prayer Wall
If you or someone you love is living with the fear of deportation, forced return, or family separation, you are welcome to leave a prayer request on the Living Prayer Wall of Light.
You do not need to carry this fear alone. Every request is personally received and held in prayer.
For your safety, please do not include immigration status, addresses, locations, or other identifying information. Share only what feels safe.
🕯️ Add your prayer to the Living Prayer Wall of Light:
