La Frontera: The Border

I have heard about “La Posada” all of my life—a Christmas procession reenacted in Mexico of a pregnant Mary and Joseph searching for a place to rest, and being turned away in Bethlehem. Finally they find a humble stable and Mary gives birth to the baby Jesus among the animals on a bed of straw. It is a poignant and troubling tale, difficult to understand in December, 2011.

Humble beginnings, a nativity at the comedor

Throughout Mexico there are posadas in cities and villages. I was very excited about an invitation from Frs. Martin and Rodrigo of the Kino Border Initiative to join in a posada in Nogales, Sonora.  Although I am not a church-goer, the story of the birth of Christ has always touched my heart.  And the fact that the story has lasted more than 2000 years, bringing up all kinds of emotions about babies, birth, the desert, poverty—all of it has affected me in ways I truly do not understand.

And there we were, our little group of Samaritans on the downtown plaza of Nogales preparing for a parade through the city. Migrants, local citizens, Arizonans, teenagers from a local high school, musicians—we all lined up with banners and a sense of anticipation, not knowing quite what to expect. “Mary”, a local high school student, climbed up on a waiting burro, with the help of “Joseph” and a glittering angel, complete with halo, who accompanied them. It was a 2000 year old tableau coming to life on the streets of Nogales. The farmacias were still hawking Viagra, and the liquor stores were still doing a bustling business, but there we were, lining up with a donkey and the Holy Family.

Maria, Jose, and angel

The banners we carried were outspoken and strongly political:

“The laws are unjust when they separate families”,

 “We must reform the immigration system so there is no disintegration of families.”

The message was direct and courageous.  The time has come for change, and the time is now.

Maria, Jose and the Wall

And it was somewhere in the middle of this humble parade that I realized that the Holy Family was not welcome in Bethlehem, and was not given a room in which to stay for the night.  Soon after the birth the family was forced to flee to another country, Egypt, to save the life of their newborn Son. They were on the run, and all that they really wanted was a place to call home, and to be together as a family.

Just like the migrants which surrounded me in this posada.

I just never made that connection before. Christmas and the birth of Jesus is about a family trying to stay together in a safe place. It is about injustices provoked by governmental systems that do not honor the fundamental importance of a family staying together.  It is about oppressive treatment of the poor.

It is about us, today, in this place.

Maria, Jose and la frontera

Our posada stopped three times along the two-mile walk back to the comedor, and each time a deported person spoke of a desire to return to family and to home. They spoke of spending months in Detention Centers in the U.S. as they struggled to find their families. I hear their stories of being near death after days in the desert.  During the long walk, pop music played from speakers on a pick-up truck.  The music was all related to immigration and searching for home. Our little group danced and swayed to the music as we slowly made our way back “home”, to the comedor.

Women in the posada sang as we walked the streets of Nogales:

“You were also a migrant,

You came from another place

You had no papers

You must remember that…”

Singing from the heart

Not only is this a religious celebration of the story of Christmas, but it is a strong political statement to everyone who watches as we process through this border city.

And then we finally arrived. The women of the church had prepared a feast for everyone in the posada, and the comedor was decorated for a party. This was definitely a very Mexican party, and we were the delighted guests. Somehow, there was room for all of us, and plenty of food.  We were offered a delicious hot punch of fruit juices, and plates were piled with stewed chicken, potatoes, beans, and a pasta dish. The salsa could have started a bonfire and warmed us up as the chill of the evening descended. Chocolate cupcakes were passed around and we were pleasantly full of good food and good cheer.

arriving for the feast

And here is the reality: current U.S. immigration policies separate families, incarcerate people in Detention Centers without a trial,  and strip people of basic human dignity. I witness each week men and women desperate to return to their families in the U.S.

Nothing will dissuade them. Many die in the desert trying to connect with family and home.

a quiet space

And these are the things I ponder on the long walk back to Estados Unidos and my own waiting family.

(Note:  photo, “a quiet space”, by Valarie James)

~ by Peg Bowden on December 22, 2011.

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