Reflections From the Burmese Border

I was blessed to be able to spend 2 weeks this past summer in Mae Sot Thailand. Mae Sot is a decent-sized city in a rural part of the country. It's also the last stop before you reach Myanmar, as it lies right on the other side of the Moei River.

As a border city, Mae Sot is filled with immigrants and refugees from neighboring Myanmar. The area is full of both Thai and Burmese people. Though the media often focuses on Rohingya Muslims when it comes to refugees from Myanmar, in Mae Sot you'll find different groups of Burmese people, also fleeing Myanmar.

Mae Sot unfortunately exhibits the same issues found in America and throughout the world, particularly rampant discrimination against immigrants and refugees. Burmese people are considered "lesser than" and only Thai children are allowed to get a formal government education.

The group I travelled with worked primarily in English teaching and in manual labor, all led by a local Thai pastor who goes by Michael. Pastor Michael, a former Buddhist monk, shows love to his community, especially to the Burmese refugees who aren't shown the same by the locals.

It is unfortunate to see the same problems all around the world. Something in human nature wants to tell us that we must despise anything that is other than what we are, so racism and discrimination against refugees and immigrants runs rampant, not only in the United States but in Thailand and in all parts of the world.

What I'm saying is that this is not just an American problem. If the United States somehow managed to get rid of racism, it would still exist all around the world. The same hatred shown by some Americans to Hispanic people who cross the southern border or Muslim refugees who fly in from Syria is shown by some Thai people to Burmese refugees who have crossed the Moei River.

something is inherently wrong in human nature that affects all people everywhere.

as a christian I believe that that "something wrong" is a nature of sin found in every person, which can only be radically turned around by the love of Jesus Christ.

I believe that there is hope for this world. There's hope to end racism and discrimination. But we cannot look to politicians and policymakers to do it, because they are human, just like us.

There is only one who can turn it around, and his name is Jesus.