Isaiah 58:11
like a spring of water
Reflection by Rushad Thomas
Reading this scripture immediately reminded me of the loving souls who venture out into the southwestern desert to leave food and water jugs for migrants making the journey north on foot. These people are the hands and feet of the Lord, providing much-needed sustenance and hydration to immigrant brothers and sisters on a perilous path to better opportunity in the United States. I’m sure discovering that help felt like stumbling upon a “spring of water” for those migrants. Some of these heroic individuals have been prosecuted by the U.S. government for leaving this aid.
Can you imagine such a thing? Americans being prosecuted by our own government for providing humanitarian assistance to fellow human beings in need. It’s truly scandalous, but these heroic individuals demonstrate the price of loving as Christ loves. Just like him, you may face persecution. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me first,” the Savior said in the Gospel of St. John.
Regardless of the political obstacles placed in our way, the Lord will continually guide us, satisfy our needs in parched places, and make our bones strong. And we shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water.
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A native of Central Florida, Rushad Thomas brings a passion for the Gospel to his role as Policy Advisor on domestic policy at The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations. After working for three years on civic education and historic preservation/interpretation at the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, Rushad made his way to D.C., where he’s worked for a variety of organizations, from a higher education policy nonprofit to a grassroots political action committee. Immediately prior to OGR, Rushad served as a press advisor at the center-left think tank Third Way, where he provided counsel on strategic communication and press operations.
