Because I am a graphic designer for Calvin and helped
coordinate the artwork of the January Series, I’ve been attending the lectures daily. One speaker that really stuck out to me was Jenny Yang,
the co-author of Welcoming the Stranger:
Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate. Yang asserted the
imperativeness of refugee and immigration rights of both legal and illegal
citizens becoming the new civil rights movement, encompassing immigration as a
biblical, church, and missional issue that most white American Christians are
torn with showing consideration to aliens who are breaking the law.
The social artifact of her message involving immigration
oppression stressed that the human purpose is to move, travel, and immigrate,
because that is how God spreads his love, message and determination. Spite is prevalent
inside the people that show domination over immigrants; they judge because they
may not know English, or whether or not they pay their taxes (which they do,
and there would be no Social Security if they did not pay their IRS dues). Because
it is a growing but hushed issue within the church (only 10% of churches have
evaluated this concern), it makes me hope for more churches to bring along the
message that the artifact reveals about life in the Kingdom: immigrants
are God’s treasured, cherished people who he yearns for just as much as he does
for us. Yang specified Zechariah 7:9-10, saying, “Thus has the Lord of hosts
said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his
brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor;
and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’”
Yang introduced
concrete ways of improvising homeland security, like making it easier for
immigrants to get through the security and immigration process, meanwhile running
more safekeeping to our borders.
1. Would it be un-Christian to eject
illegal immigrants who have fostered their lives in the United States?
2. Why do you think Christians are so separated on
the illegal immigration dispute?
Thanks for sharing, Bethany. It's interesting to hear how Yang re-framed the argument by appealing to biblical texts. In my experience with one particular church, it's been a true witness to the congregation's love and compassion to see how they've come together to assist an undocumented member of their community.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post, Bethany. Especially because I had hoped to go to this lecture, but wasn't able to in the end. Immigration has always been an issue that I've been passionate about, and it was good to hear your perspective of the lecture. I have similar questions as you about why so few Christians, churches, and people in general talk about this issue at all. Immigrants make up such a vital part of America and there is so much controversy surrounding illegal immigration, etc. So many people are still so ignorant about the topic and something needs to be done about that. More people are starting to talk about it, but there's still a long way to go and a lot of progress to be made.
ReplyDelete