A question for America: Who do we want to be? Do we believe in compassion...or exclusion?

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

• Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus”

It’s easy to be an American in times of prosperity and peace. People from foreign countries love us (for the most part) and want to be us. When our economy is humming at full capacity, there’s no better place to be. We live in the safest, best protected, most economically vibrant country in the world…or so we keep telling ourselves. It’s easy to buy into the “We’re #1” philosophy when so much is happening that it becomes an accepted unspoken truth that Pax Americana spans the globe. It used to be said that the sun never sets on the British Empire; while America doesn’t officially have anything that could be called an empire, our global presence and influence have created a similar scenario.

This brings me to the Biblical injunction (Luke 12:48) that “to whom much is given, much shall be required.” We who are blessed to have been born American have an implied obligation to open our hearts and our doors (figuratively speaking) to those born into much less peaceful, stable, and or prosperous circumstances. For those of us who didn’t sleep through our junior high school American History class, the reality that this is a country founded by immigrants fleeing what they felt to be religious oppression in England. Over the course of our history, America has been the landing place for many a diaspora from all corners of the globe. Immigrants and children of immigrants have come to this country seeking refuge, a second chance, and/or an opportunity to make their own way in the world.

Diversity is part of what makes this country great. Being American doesn’t mean being exclusively White and Christian; there are so many other colors, creeds, faith, and ethnicities woven into the crazy quilt that is America. That’s who we are. Throughout it all, our doors have been open to those seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Integrating those from other parts of the world hasn’t always been easy (“No blacks or Irish need apply”), but we’ve managed…and we’re better for it. Just think what a different (and far less interesting and compelling) place America would be if we only allowed White Christians entry.

The Syrian refugee crisis, combined with the horrific acts of terrorism in Paris, has brought America to a crossroads, and we’re faced with one very simple question: Who do we want to be…what kind of America do we want to be?

Will we be the country that’s always found a way to take in those in need of a helping hand? Or will we give in to those who prefer to live in fear and decide to exclude those who might possibly present even the tiniest of risks to our safety and security? Will we decide that we want to be part of the solution…or will we determine that we want no part of a problem not of our making?

If you call yourself a Christian and yet you’re opposed to admitting Syrian refugees into our Shining City on a Hill ©, you shouldn’t be allowed to celebrate Christmas, because you’ve chosen to ignore one of the core tenets of your faith.