Will Davis
Introduction
This was my first trip to the Southern Border, little did I know many more would follow.
My book of choice was “Latino Americans: The 500 year legacy that shaped a nation” by Ray Suarez, the person I traveled with, a stranger. Here I am flying with a stranger to meet strangers from distant lands: Charleston, SC to Matamoras, MX. As I read of our American history and traversed my country to learn of others' potential mark on our history, I could only capture my journey and the narratives of migrants as poetry. I could only digest the weight of what I would experience and encounter through this art form. I hope that through these words you will take the courageous step of vulnerability by understanding the narrative of a stranger as I did for the common good, to change your worldview and the Glory of Jesus. Here are my thoughts in the form of spilled ink.
A Word
I thought of my faith and why my faith led me to this current journey and path of service for others through immigration. As I read the scriptures, it reminded me that this isn’t our world yet we are to redeem all we can to the glory of God and to live in hope as we travel through, meaning we are sojourners.
The Promised Land
(CHS>MFE)
//
Could it be
that the immigrant narrative
is a physical reminder
of the saved sojourner's story—
people of an upside down kingdom?
Jesus tells us
to care for the foreigners
he shares that,
"the first shall be last & the last shall be first"
so I look at the immigrant & see myself;
a citizen of Heaven
passing through the Kingdom of Earth,
interacting with her children;
knowing full well my journey
will soon come to an end.
all I want is to be loved,
cared for,
protected,
shown mercy & grace
all while enjoying
the unknown adventure,
treacherous at times but treasured
for eternity
because like the immigrant,
I too hope for
the Promised Land.
Will Davis, aka Tethered Wrds, is a church planter, writer, poet in Charleston, South Carolina and serves as the chairman of the board for Practice Mercy Foundation, a non-profit serving indigenous women and children at the Southern Border.