Let's Do More Than Gripe
Get to Know and Become Friends with A Recent Immigrant
One of the greatest blessings of my life occurs when I become friends with a recent immigrant to the U.S.A.
Recently, we hosted a gathering on the lake with sisters and brothers from Venezuela. We rode together on the pontoon boat, swam together, ate together, and listened to a beautiful lesson from the New Testament given in Spanish.
Even though we understand only a little bit of Spanish, we listened prayerfully and carefully. As the pastor spoke, we remembered Pentecost and asked the Holy Spirit to give us hearts and ears to hear the meaning of the Word.
We witnessed deep love, compassion, and a coming to life as the scriptures were digested.
We shared tears as we listened to the stories of deep pain and anguish shared by our sisters and brothers who had fled a communist regime and dictator in Venezuela to live in a much freer and safer yet far from perfect land called the U.S.A.
This is what is remarkable…
The presence of the crucified and risen Christ embodied in the lives of our sisters and brothers who are immigrants brought out the presence, shalom, and wholeness of Christ in us.
We were blessed beyond words by the agape that flowed through their warmth, laughter, delight, and tears!
Being with them put faces to the fact that many persons who are immigrants in the U.S.A. today are living in fear!
It breaks my heart immigrants have been classified as criminals. (The vast majority of persons being deported today are NOT criminals.)
These are peace keeping and loving persons who make the U.S.A. better.
Many are followers of Jesus Christ!!!
One mother told us a story about her eight year old daughter.
She returned home from school one day crying. She said, “Mama, what does the word border mean? Some children in school today ganged up on me on the playground and started yelling at me and laughing at me saying, “Go home. This is NOT your home. You crossed the border!”
Sadly enough, I dare say many of the parents of the children who bullied the girl from Venezuela call themselves followers of Jesus!
It is the nature of God to cross man made borders.
God became flesh and dwelt among us in Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin. Jesus, the crucified and risen Christ, broke through the door that was locked where the disciples cowered in fear following his crucifixion.
Because God raised Jesus from the dead we no longer need to live in fear and build boundaries based on fear!
When our Father God looks down upon the earth, does God see countries divided by false borders or does God see one big family?
This brings to mind what happens when astronauts from various countries enter into space. A holy gazing captivates them. They say, “When I saw the earth from space, I realize we all share one home, one homeland. I will never look at earth the same again.”
Sisters and brothers who begin the prayer Jesus taught us to pray with “Our Father” realize we do not look at earth like the rest of the world does. We believe in a God who is Father of all creation. God became flesh, dwelt among us, and dwells among us through his Holy Spirit. God empowers us to cross all barriers erected by fear, sin, division, evil.
Like The Good News revealed in John 3:16-17 proclaims, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (The Bible: English Standard Version”).
So what can we do to support our sisters and brothers who are immigrants?
. PRAY WITH THEM.
. INVITE THEM TO DINNER AND BECOME FRIENDS.
Along these lines, I invite you to read the words of Jesus and the parable he told as recorded in Luke 14 which begins, ‘When you give a dinner or banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.’
(Luke 14: 12-14, The Bible: English Standard Version”).
ADVOCATE FOR THEM.
. CHECK OUT WAYS WE CAN STAND BY IMMIGRANTS through American Friends Service Committee
afscinfo@afsc.org
