Border Stampede
Nearly 100 people died from either drowning or stampede and many more are injured after tens of thousands of people made a break for the Spanish territory of Ceuta off the coast of Morocco. Many of the would-be migrants were young people who were convinced by social media claims that swimming to Ceuta would afford them an immigration hearing in Spain. At least 60,000 made it to Ceuta, but the claims were unfounded and officials returned those who survived the swim to Morocco.
Analysis and eternal perspective: This incident sparked an abundance of conversation this week, including about immigration policy. Many of those debates are legitimate, as legal immigration requires control of sovereign borders and clear guidance on how to immigrate. The absence of either of those elements results in tragedies like this one, as dozens lost their lives pursuing the promise of something that was never available in the first place.
Alongside the often-heated debate about immigration policy is a human dynamic that should be unifying for all Jesus followers. Every person was created and intended to be free (Gal. 5:1a). This is far more than the freedom we often think about from a political or governing perspective, though those elements of physical freedom can be an important part of an overarching freedom. Every person made in the image of the Creator is endowed with an instinct to be free. Every person’s primary purpose is bringing glory to the almighty God (Is. 43:21).
As we consider this truth against the backdrop of tens of thousands of people who had false hope of a better life, let us consider the second half of Galatians 5:1 and its ramifications for our own life: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
You are made to be free. Free from sin, free from bondage, and free from selfish ambition. Free to serve, and free to bring glory to your God! As you naturally yearn for earthly expressions of freedom, stand firm in the truth that you can know true freedom in Christ no matter what amount of earthly freedom you possess!