Did you hear about the tragic car accident in Imperial county.  Ford Explorer with 25 people inside crashed into a big rig hauling gravel. At least 13 people died. We know that the car had snuck through the border fence and was attempting to smuggle immigrants. Some may say that the cause of this accident is simple: not obeying the law. But I say to you that the cause of this accident is that we have all failed to follow God’s laws. The result of not obeying God’s laws is suffering and death. Today we study the 10 commandments and consider how following God’s laws can improve the world and help solve the problem of an immigration crisis.

Commandment number one is that there is only one God. Do not worship any idols. An idol can be anything we worship that is not God. A very great idol can be the nation. Worshiping a nation is nationalism. Having faith that America is something that can save us from evil is idolatry. This idolatry can lead toward a prejudice against people from other countries. Jesus rejected nationalism when he overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple. He was expelling the image of Cesar and his false claim to be the son of God. Only God saves. Remember that it was God who set the people free from slavery. God saves us still today. Commandment number two is not to take the name of our God in vain. To be vain or to have vanity is to be selfish and use the name of God to satisfy our human desires. God’s name is so powerful that it calls us to lay down our lives to serve God. Someone asked me why I learned Spanish. Spanish is the language of heaven, and of the kingdom of God. You know why? Because the boss is called, “Jesús.” And his name is sacred. All of God’s names in all languages are sacred and worthy of our attention, and learning.Commandment number three is to keep the Sabbath day holy. God made all of creation in six days and rested on the seventh. What if God can do all his work in six days, why not you? Ha ha. But in reality God did not finish all his work in six days. There was a lot of work. But if God who is almighty needs to rest, why not you? Are you stronger than God? I do not believe it.

Also included in this commandment are the following instructions according to the holy and sacred Word of God: “You shall not do any work on the seventh day, you, your son, your daughter, your servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the foreigner who is with you.” The foreigner means the immigrant. When God gave the law to Moses on top of the mountain, he put in this reality that you will be strangers with you. They have to rest too.

When I lived in Mexico, a friend of mine invited me to have lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I was surprised that there was a Chinese restaurant in Mexico. And when I went to the restaurant, who was working in the restaurant? People from C