Praying With the Headlines

In the season of Lent, or the approximately six weeks leading up to Easter, Christians often take on practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in order to grow closer to God through repentance and renewal. One way we can engage in prayer though this season is through intentional prayer for others, particularly the marginalized and impoverished among us.

So often, we breeze through the news, unable to absorb the tragedy contained in our headlines. This Lent, we invite you into the practice of slowing down and praying with headlines, particularly about immigration. We will use the news as a medium to imaginatively pray with and for our immigrant brothers and sisters – and so grow in love, compassion, and nearness to God and one another.

Praying With the Headlines: Driving Undocumented in the United States

Begin by adopting a posture of prayer, wherever you are. Sit back, relax your body, and take a few deep breaths.

Breathe in, breathe out. Know you are in the presence of God.

God, we ask you to help slow our minds and expand our hearts to attend to the suffering of our immigrant brothers and sisters.

Now read the passage from this news story from the Star Tribune slowly.

There's a faster way Linda could drive her son to his Apple Valley school in the morning. But fear forces her to take the quieter, less-trafficked route with fewer stoplights. She is an unauthorized immigrant without a Minnesota driver's license, but with her husband at work, she feels she has no choice but to drive.

For Linda, an errand as simple as school drop-off or getting to a doctor's appointment is a stressful event that could lead to a police encounter, a ticket or even jail. At its worst, a traffic stop could lead to her deportation.

"It's a lot of stress, it's hard. My heart is beating, especially when I'm driving by myself," she said.

Imagine yourself in the front seat of the car with Linda. Her heart is beating fast, her breathing shallow. Her eyes are quickly scanning not just the road, but all corners of the scene ahead of her, always on the lookout for police. She can't let her thoughts wander while driving but must remain always alert.

Breathe in, breathe out. Try to imagine Linda’s fear, her exhaustion from this hypervigilance, her love for her son, her desire to remain with her family.

Recognize the millions of people whom Linda represents who live in fear daily, with no accessible path forward to gaining legal status.

Breathe in, breathe out.

As you hold Linda in your mind and heart, recognize that God holds Linda, too. None of her suffering goes unnoticed. She is loved beyond measure. In holding Linda in this way, you are entering into the love of God.

Offer whatever prayers you have for Linda and all those like her.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Open your eyes when you are ready.

Amen.