President Obama’s Justice Department has filed a lawsuit challenging the Arizona’s immigration policy.  Fancy that! Siding with the government of Mexico over against a State government, the suite accuses Arizona of trying to “second guess” the federal government. Officials in Washington claimed on Tuesday that Arizona’s “invalid” law interferes with federal immigration responsibilities and “must be struck down.” Arizona counters that it is simply backing federal laws on immigration that Washington itself has refused to enforce.

Everyone involved agrees we have a problem. America is an immigrant nation. Some 95% of our current citizenship come from families who came to America from somewhere else. The question at hand is HOW do we foster immigration and manage the process in a productive and healthy way? And does Arizona have a right – even an obligation – to ensure the integrity of its border?

Once again, we see a challenge here that is really beyond our human wisdom and capacity to resolve. We need God’s perspective and strength more than we need mere human, political, economic solutions. Let’s offer prayer for this specific challenge…

“God we thank you for our ancestors who risked their lives to travel to America and begin a new life here. We thank you for leading them and for blessing them with this great and generous land. We pray now for the many who are still risking all to come here to begin anew. We thank you too for the orderly process we have in place. We thank you that there is a way for people to join in the American dream, and we thank you that our government is in place to aid this process. We ask that you would intervene here and now in our current immigration process. Provide ways for those who long to be part of America to join us. At the same time protect us from those who would use our freedoms to damage our freedoms. Give Arizona officials and the Justice Department a win/win solution to this present crisis. We ask for peace and security without sacrificing freedom and the hope of new beginning. In Jesus…”