ST. PAUL'S - CARONDELET
  • HOME
  • Subscribe
  • ABOUT
    • Visitors
    • Parish Leadership
    • Staff
    • History
    • Photos
    • Artwork
  • Sermons
    • Worship >
      • What We Believe
      • GROW >
        • Adult Spirituality
        • Children's Ministry
        • CARE >
          • Sharing Community
        • Blog
  • EVENTS
    • UPCOMING EVENTS
    • Weddings
    • Rent our Space
  • GIVE
    • Pledge for 2021
    • Donate
  • Make a Reservation

Who is my neighbor?

10/29/2018

 
Picture
   As Christians, we understand that our position on immigration must grounded  in our faith. But too often, that foundation is overshadowed by the complexities of the current political conversation and our feelings.
   As Matthew Soerens, Director of Church Mobilization at World Relief reminds us:
"Many of the most prominent heroes of our faith -- Abraham, Joseph, Ruth, David, even Jesus -- crossed borders into another country at some point. Furthermore, the Hebrew word that most closely describes immigrants (ger, in the singular form) appears 92 times in the Old Testament, often mentioned alongside orphans and widows as uniquely vulnerable groups whom God expressly loves and commands his people to love as well (see, for example, Deuteronomy 10:17-19, Deuteronomy 24:19, Psalm 146:9, Zechariah 7:9-10). In the New Testament, hospitality -- from the Greek philoxenia (literally, “the love of strangers”) -- is mandated for Christ followers."
   At St. Paul's, we have a unique experience of the stranger in our midst. Many of us have met the Iraqi family who live across the street from us.  Mr. A. served the US Military in Iraq for six years. He was jailed and tortured for his service to our country. Thanks be to God, he and his family were able to receive asylum in the United States and begin a new life. Immigrants from Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East have made new homes in Carondelet. What a privilege to be able to meet and welcome them.

   In the United States, immigrant visas are strictly limited to four categories:
  1. Individuals sponsored by close family (a spouse, parent, child or sibling who is a U.S. citizen, or a spouse or parent who is a “lawful permanent resident”)
  2. Individuals sponsored by employers (with a requirement in almost all cases that the immigrant be highly skilled, with a graduate degree or “exceptional ability”)
  3. Individuals motivated by a well-founded fear of persecution in their country of origin (with an annual cap on admissions -- only a fraction of 1 percent of the world’s refugees)
  4. Individuals fortunate enough to win an online lottery (which people from Mexico, India and several other countries are ineligible even to enter)
   Matthew Soerens writes, "I suspect that most Americans do not realize (as I did not) that our legal system generally makes legal immigration impossible for anyone who does not fit any of the four visa categories.
Christians can debate whether or not breaking U.S. immigration law is biblically justified by particular circumstances, such as fleeing violence or extreme poverty. But knowing the facts about immigration at least helps us understand why so many people decide to immigrate or to overstay a visa illegally. So often, their choice is not between immigrating legally or illegally but between immigrating illegally or staying put in challenging, even brutal, circumstances that none of us would willingly endure.
   These are only the most basic facts about immigration. Many resources -- including statistics, suggested books and a church leader’s guide to immigration -- are readily available online and can be invaluable in helping church members understand the fuller story. I know that the more I learned, the faster my misconceptions melted away."
   As we move deeper into relationships with our sisters and brothers in Carondelet, let's continue to have conversations about what it means to welcome  - and let's not forget the strangers in our midst.
                                                                       --- Pastor Rebecca

Comments are closed.

    About

    Rector's Corner posts written by Pastor Rebecca.

    News and events added by web designer Emily O.

    Archives

    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Baptism
    Discipleship
    Easter
    Events
    Humor
    Lent
    Liturgy
    Ministry
    Neighborhood BBQ
    News
    Prayer
    Rectors Corner
    Stewardship

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photo used under Creative Commons from aulbarnes08
  • HOME
  • Subscribe
  • ABOUT
    • Visitors
    • Parish Leadership
    • Staff
    • History
    • Photos
    • Artwork
  • Sermons
    • Worship >
      • What We Believe
      • GROW >
        • Adult Spirituality
        • Children's Ministry
        • CARE >
          • Sharing Community
        • Blog
  • EVENTS
    • UPCOMING EVENTS
    • Weddings
    • Rent our Space
  • GIVE
    • Pledge for 2021
    • Donate
  • Make a Reservation