The body of Christ

I absolutely love this photo, from Associated Press shooter Matt York. It depicts the Most Rev. Gerald F. Kicanas, the Roman Catholic bishop of the Tucson diocese, offering Holy Communion to people on the Mexican side of the international border in Nogales, Ariz. Kicanas was visiting the town along with several colleagues to bring awareness to immigration reform and to recall several people who have died trying to cross the U.S./Mexico border.

To me, this photo is a powerful reminder that the love of Christ will not be constrained by national borders, physical barriers, race or prejudice. In a state that recently debated “religious liberties” in a bill that would have allowed business owners to cite their religious beliefs for, say, refusing service to gay people, this image is also a powerful reminder about what faith at its best is really supposed to be about.