the right to serve with a smile

Day 17 – O’Keefe – religious freedom includes a right to serve

In a Supreme Court case in 2011 (Arizona v. United States, decided in 2012), the Catholic bishops of the United States filed a brief making an argument that deserves thought.  They claim that religious freedom includes the right to serve.  This seems like an odd claim, but it contains an insight of immense importance.

They argue that the Arizona law restricting immigration damages Americans who lose a chance to be hospitable. That sounds a little strange, but I think they are right.

The bishops argued: “The Catholic Church’s religious faith, like that of many religious denominations … requires it to offer charity—ranging from soup kitchens to homeless shelters—to all in need, whether they are present in this country legally or not. Yet [the Arizona law] … could either criminalize this charity, criminalize those who provide or even permit it … and then to exclude from that charity all those whose presence Arizona and other states would criminalize. This ... would unnecessarily intrude on the Church’s religious liberty.”

Right now, we are in a recession, or at least near one, so Americans are not feeling as optimistic as usual. But still, compared to most of the world throughout all of history, we are fantastically wealthy. We may not always have jelly, but we always have bread. We don’t always like the people under it, but we can always find a roof. In fact, we have cars to complain about, and computers with sticky keys, and pools that need cleaning. We have a lot of stuff, and we have numerous complaints about every single thing we have – so we have a lotta lotta complaints.

Jesus said that when he shows up at the door (disguised, usually) he comes to set us free. He comes to give us joy. Sometimes, what he offers is easy to grasp.  If I have a pool to myself, I see leaves and smell chlorine. But if I let a kid use it, he screams and splashes until I remember how cool it is.  If I eat a piece of candy, I enjoy it for 30 seconds. If I give it to a kid, I enjoy his smile for a long time.  And I have a right to that smile.

Here we are in this vastly wealthy country, moaning and groaning. And 12 million people show up at the door, saying they want some of what we’ve got. If we share it, we enjoy it. If we throw them out, we probably get to keep the stuff, but we lose the joy that should go with it.

We are moaning and groaning about tough times. 12 million times, Jesus has knocked on our door and offered to show us how to enjoy what we have.

The bishops are right. If we refuse to be hospitable, the immigrant is hurt, maybe – but the host is hurt far more. 

Kids get it; we can, too.

Mr. Parrott?