Teenage protesters — hope for the future
I was delighted recently to see pictures of Concord High School students who had marched to the State House to protest ICE arrests and deportations. Then today I received a text message and videos from my own 17-year-old grandson who has taken part in similar protests in Nevada. As he writes, “It was great to stand up for what I believe in!”
In one image, my grandson carries a sign with a message reading: “When a foreigner resides among you, in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native born. Love them as yourself. Leviticus 19: 33-34.”
These students, whether in New Hampshire or Nevada, have not been taught to hate and fear “the other.” They are trying to live out the moral injunction in all three Abrahamic faiths to welcome the foreigner — just as Abraham welcomed strangers who proved to be divine messengers.
In this time of fear and division, I salute these caring young people as messengers of a more hopeful future.