AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHURCHES OF MT. HOLLY SPRINGS
- nickilburg
- Feb 4
- 4 min read
Jesus lived in the Roman Empire and witnessed brutality all through his life as a man. As the Son of God Jesus preached mercy and love in a way that confronted the violence and oppression around him. The Roman Empire passed judgment on Jesus and brutally tortured him before executing him in the most painful way possible, crucifixion.
In the midst of all of the Roman violence, Jesus taught his followers that the poor in spirit were blessed, those who mourn are blessed, the meek are blessed, those who seek righteousness are blessed, the merciful are blessed, the peacemakers are blessed and those who are persecuted because of righteousness are blessed. Matthew 5:3-10
Jesus made it clear that a life of radical mercy was the way to follow him:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.”
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that
you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the
evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous.”
Think of the parable of the workers in the field. The ones that were hired last received the same pay as the ones hired first and Jesus taught “So the last shall be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:1-16.
The most important and challenging lesson that Jesus taught was the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus told the story in response to the question – Who is my neighbor? And we know from Luke 10:25-37 that a man who was robbed beaten and left for dead along the side of a road was passed by a priest who did nothing and a Levite who did nothing but a Samaritan sacrificed time, money and effort to save him.
Paul lived in the same brutal Roman world as Jesus. And I often think about his radical call to Love in I Corinthians 13:1-8. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily answered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
But is love just a feeling or a sentiment or inspiring words? No. Jesus taught that whatever we do for the “least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:35-36.
When systems of power and exclusion were constructed around the most vulnerable, Jesus stood firmly on the side of those cast aside and forgotten. Jesus seeks abundant love reserved for the most vulnerable first and foremost. Movements centered on dominance are the antithesis to the actual call Christians have through the teachings and ministry of Jesus. I am not a born-again Christian, but Jesus’ teachings had a profound effect on my life when I was 15 years old and went into foster care. I am always an ally of those who walk in the radical love that Jesus taught.
Tom Day wants to have a 287(g) Agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to grant police officers in Mt. Holly Springs the same authority as ICE Officers to investigate and detain undocumented immigrants. He wants to pull drivers out of tractor trailers that he suspects are undocumented. There is a vote on it on February 6, 2026 at 7:00pm at the monthly Council Meeting. Do we want both Documented and Undocumented to be detained? There have been detentions of American Citizens and Native Americans of Color. If that happened in Mt. Holly Springs, it would not only open up MHS to liability for Constitutional Rights violations but it would be wrong.
What we know is that undocumented immigrants who are detained are at high risk of torture, neglect and abuse and often deportation to countries that they have never been to. We also know that 65% - 75% of ICE detainees have no criminal convictions. (tracreports.org/immigration). Documented immigrants have been detained in large numbers even if they are here legally. We know that ICE agents have killed protestors and that detainees are dying in detention centers. There are six hundred children without parents in ICE custody according to the Washington Post and that number is rising.
Please speak to each other about this issue and come to the Council meeting on February 9, 2026, at 7:00 and voice your concerns. Or at the very least, send a representative to find out what is happening from Tom Day himself.
In Light and Love,
Nicole Kilburg
Facilitator
Mt. Holly Springs Indivisible
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