Hey everyone,
I recently discovered this declaration that came out of the Duke Center for Reconciliation Summer Institute. Those of you who were there may have heard about it or even been a part of it (if so, talk to me!). I think it gives a great example of a Christian response to what's going on in the US vis a vis immigration, especially in contrast to strictly secular responses.
The declaration was largely a response to what's happening in Arizona right now. If you're unfamiliar with AZ's new immigration-enforcement law, go here: http://immigration.change.org/blog/view/so_whats_in_the_arizona_bill_everyones_talking_about
I'll do like Zac did and post the declaration in the comments section, so as not to overwhelm the blog homepage...
Hope y'all are doing well.
DURHAM DECLARATION ON IMMIGRATION and THE CHURCH
ReplyDeleteBelieving that God’s people are shaped by memory to imagine new possibilities, we refuse conformity to this world’s systems and commit ourselves to concrete practices of God’s beloved community.
• We remember that our father Abraham was called to leave his homeland and live as a sojourner in a strange land (Genesis 12:1).
• We remember God’s instruction to our fore-parents after their liberation from slavery under Pharaoh: “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt” (Exodus 22:21).
• We remember Jesus teaching that we welcome him when we welcome the stranger (Matthew 25:35).
• We remember that those of us who are Gentiles by birth were at one time “excluded from citizenship in Israel” (Ephesians 2:12), but that we are now citizens of God’s kingdom by grace.
• We remember the early church’s experience of showing hospitality to strangers and “entertaining angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2).
• We remember that this land now called the United States of America was once home to indigenous peoples who were displaced by European conquest.
• We remember that the peoples who now live on this nation’s southern border practiced seasonal migration for generations before the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994.
• We remember that the injustice of racial inequality in this country demanded both civil disobedience and legislative reform in the Civil Rights movement.
Shaped by these distinct memories in this particular place, our eyes are open to the plight of immigrants and “undocumented” workers.
• We recognize that many who are considered “illegal” by our nation’s laws are our brothers and sisters in God’s family.
• We recognize and celebrate the gifts that our brothers and sisters from Latin America bring into the Christian family.
• We recognize the suffering of families who are presently being separated by arrests and deportation.
• We recognize a gap between this nation’s business practices and its immigration policy that creates a space beyond the rule of law where modern day slavery is accepted and overlooked.
• We recognize an urgent need for acts of hospitality, solidarity, and advocacy for comprehensive immigration reform in this country.
(Declaration, pt. 2)
ReplyDeleteSeeing these things, we are compelled to say no and stand against ideas and practices that are hurting our brothers and sisters.
• We refuse to accept a wall on this nation’s southern border as a solution to the challenges presented by immigration.
• We refuse to let any law prevent us from welcoming brothers and sisters and offering to them from our own resources those things which are required for health and well-being.
• We refuse to let political persuasions, be they conservative or liberal, trump our Christian identity.
• We refuse a cynical concession to the economic necessity of labor that allows immigrants to be here without welcoming them as equals.
Because our refusal is grounded in hope that a new creation is possible, we recommit ourselves to practices that build the beloved community in the places where we live, shaping a place where all people can enjoy together the life we were made for.
• We recommit ourselves to the practice of hospitality as we welcome brothers and sisters into our homes and congregations without regard to their immigration status.
• We recommit ourselves to the practice of listening as we pay attention to the stories of those who have died in the desert, who have suffered modern day slavery, who have been separated from family by deportation, who are denied education and other services, who live in daily fear.
• We recommit ourselves to solidarity with undocumented brothers and sisters in our daily lives, believing that when they weep, we must weep, so that when they celebrate, we too can celebrate.
• We recommit ourselves to advocacy for legislation that will make it easier for people to live together peacefully in this country.
• We recommit ourselves to a vision of the beloved community, rooted in God’s vision of new creation, that gave life to the Civil Rights movement and continues to inspire God’s movement toward justice and peace in the world today.
We the undersigned make this declaration together and invite others to join us in the proclamation and practice of the good news of reconciliation through these concrete steps:
• Pray and ask your congregation to pray for new imagination about the challenge outlined here.
• Write to your representatives in Congress and tell them immigration reform is a priority for you as a citizen.
• Support the Dream Act as the most achievable next step toward achieving comprehensive immigration reform.