Immigration is, to state the obvious, an extremely divisive and volatile subject in our country. The other day in the local section of our newspaper, The Glendale Republic (of the Arizona Republic), Dave Howell wrote what I thought was an interesting opinion piece on the subject. He has given permission to me to reprint it here. (He told me he received a lot of hate mail for it so rather than bothering him with it, you can write any comments you'd like on this blog!)
Republic Column
David Howell
Guilty or Not Guilty
In the increasingly vitriolic debate over undocumented immigrants in the United States, there are actually a few things upon which virtually everyone with an opinion on the subject, which is just about everyone, can agree.
One of those points of agreement is that anyone in this country without proper authorization is guilty of entering the United States illegally. They are guilty of breaking U.S. immigration laws. Actually, they are guilty of much more.
The vast majority are also guilty of trying to find a better life for themselves and their families. They’re guilty of wanting to find a better job, more opportunity. And they’re guilty of having the courage to take huge personal risks in making the journey to get into this country.
They’re guilty of wanting to escape extreme poverty and environments that offer little hope.
They’re guilty of wanting to help the families they left behind by sending home a significant percentage of the money they make.
They’re guilty of speaking another language, primarily Spanish. Many of them are guilty of having skin that is a little darker than white.
They’re guilty of being willing to do almost any job, no matter how physically difficult or what hours are required.
They’re guilty of bringing a slice of their culture with them in their food, their music, they’re tastes and customs.
Some are also guilty of other criminal activity, and this is another point where we all agree. Those individuals need to be apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of the law; and that means more than simply dumping them back across the border where they can continue their criminal career either in their home country or, as often happens, reenter the U.S. and resume it here.
Yes, some of them are also guilty of having children….and of wanting those children to be healthy and get an education and have more opportunity than they had growing up.
They’re guilty of thinking that the United States offers more of that opportunity than the countries they come from.
They’re guilty of paying taxes in the United States and also guilty of not claiming all the refunds for which they might otherwise qualify.
So the question is what to do about all these people who are guilty of so much. What punishment is appropriate? Opinions vary widely, and for those who want to stop the conversation after that first “guilty”, the answer is simple. They are in this country without legal permission, send them home. Good riddance.
For some of us, however, it isn’t quite so simple. For decades this country has, for better or worse, also been guilty of facilitating undocumented immigration. We have, in a very real sense, been co-conspirator. But we have also been a benefactor.
The vast majority of the several million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. today are hard-working, courageous people. In short, they are exactly the kind of individuals, and exactly the kind of immigrants, we have always attracted. They are, in fact, the kind of people this country has attracted since before it was a country. They represent the kind of new blood that has kept this nation great and growing since its birth.
We need to create a system that ensures those in this country are here legally, punishes those who are not, and enforces our employment laws. But that doesn’t mean we should summarily turn out those whose presence here has been made de facto legal by our complicity.
There are proposals on the table, both in Arizona and Washington, D.C., that would take steps in that direction. They would identify and punish those currently in this country illegally, but the punishment would fit the crime. They would also continue the efforts to strengthen our borders and would create a system to admit and monitor temporary workers.
For the moment most of those proposals don’t seem to be headed anywhere. The political environment right now, especially in our state, has emboldened the most virulent of the anti-immigrant voices. And the intimidation and headline grabbing tactics used by many in that group have effectively pushed the issue off the election year table.
In many ways it is reminiscent of the final days of legal segregation in the Deep South; and like then, the ultimate conversation is not about what is legal or illegal but about what is right and just….and what is, in the long term, best for this country.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Recession Blues?
My friend Pastor John from Rwanda is visiting with us and our congregation this weekend. Having been to Rwanda 3 times I have a sense of the lifestyle of many Rwandans in contrast to the lifestyle many of us live in the US.
When I picked John up on Saturday from the airport I pointed out to him the new Cardinals Stadium. I mentioned the shops and restaurants going in around that and Jobing Stadium. But I also said that here in the states we were going through a recession. He's been to the US many times and has been here three weeks already this trip. He's heard about our recession but it was evident that he was having a hard time understanding what a recession means in the midst of such affluence. I told him about our gas prices and he said they pay about $2.00 per liter or almost $7-8 per gallon! He saw the new homes being built (whether they are selling is another story) and was awed. I took him to see Kung Fu Panda at the mall and he commented on how busy the mall was and how great the shop keepers seemed to be doing (the mall was jammed!)
John lives in a country where the average salary is around $300 per year. Many people live in huts or shacks. Most can't own cars because they can't afford them or the gas. He went on and on about how great it is to be able to take a shower every day here and that the water has some pressure to it! Not so in Rwanda.
The point is not to make us feel guilty but to put into perspective how blessed we really are in this country. Times are tough--no doubt! Gas prices, food prices are rising as is unemployment. But still, in comparison to places like Rwanda, we are the wealthiest 10% in the world, even in an economic dowturn.
So while we are all trying to cope with new economic realities, it's good to be reminded that we are indeed fortunate. There is much to be thankful for. And guys like John remind us of how blessed we really are (including having airconditioning in buildings and cars when it's 110 degrees 9 days in a row!)
When I picked John up on Saturday from the airport I pointed out to him the new Cardinals Stadium. I mentioned the shops and restaurants going in around that and Jobing Stadium. But I also said that here in the states we were going through a recession. He's been to the US many times and has been here three weeks already this trip. He's heard about our recession but it was evident that he was having a hard time understanding what a recession means in the midst of such affluence. I told him about our gas prices and he said they pay about $2.00 per liter or almost $7-8 per gallon! He saw the new homes being built (whether they are selling is another story) and was awed. I took him to see Kung Fu Panda at the mall and he commented on how busy the mall was and how great the shop keepers seemed to be doing (the mall was jammed!)
John lives in a country where the average salary is around $300 per year. Many people live in huts or shacks. Most can't own cars because they can't afford them or the gas. He went on and on about how great it is to be able to take a shower every day here and that the water has some pressure to it! Not so in Rwanda.
The point is not to make us feel guilty but to put into perspective how blessed we really are in this country. Times are tough--no doubt! Gas prices, food prices are rising as is unemployment. But still, in comparison to places like Rwanda, we are the wealthiest 10% in the world, even in an economic dowturn.
So while we are all trying to cope with new economic realities, it's good to be reminded that we are indeed fortunate. There is much to be thankful for. And guys like John remind us of how blessed we really are (including having airconditioning in buildings and cars when it's 110 degrees 9 days in a row!)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Marriage Irony
Isn't it ironic...
That gays and lesbians (regardless of what you think of that lifestyle) are fighting for the chance to marry, and now, when they can in some states, they flock to do so, and talk about how different it feels to be married rather than living together...
And heterosexuals (regardless of what you think about that lifestyle) have the right and freedom to marry but increasingly opt not to and instead live together outside of marriage because marriage is "nothing more than a piece of paper?"
Hmmm.....
That gays and lesbians (regardless of what you think of that lifestyle) are fighting for the chance to marry, and now, when they can in some states, they flock to do so, and talk about how different it feels to be married rather than living together...
And heterosexuals (regardless of what you think about that lifestyle) have the right and freedom to marry but increasingly opt not to and instead live together outside of marriage because marriage is "nothing more than a piece of paper?"
Hmmm.....
Friday, June 13, 2008
Tim Russert
Tim Russert, of NBC News, died today, apparently of a heart attack. I was a Tim Russert fan. I didn't get to watch Meet the Press on Sundays as I work that day, but being a news junkie I saw him often. And I always enjoyed his reporting. There was something about him that gave the sense he loved what he was doing, he loved the topic, and he loved bringing the news to us.
As I heard the news about his death and tuned into MSNBC to listen in on the many tributes, my first thought was, "He had to be a man of faith." It radiated over the TV time and again even though I had never heard him say anything about it. Sure enough, turns out he was a deeply committed Catholic. As his friends and colleagues talked about his faith, I turned to Jan and said, "It's interesting to hear journalists talking about faith." She said, "When someone models faith the way Tim Russert did, without cramming it down people's throats, people admire that."
Tim was not only a great news man, he was a family man. And a man who lived the Jesus life through his calling as a newscaster.
It's sad that he will not be a part of what promises to be one of the most interesting presidential races in a long time.
As I heard the news about his death and tuned into MSNBC to listen in on the many tributes, my first thought was, "He had to be a man of faith." It radiated over the TV time and again even though I had never heard him say anything about it. Sure enough, turns out he was a deeply committed Catholic. As his friends and colleagues talked about his faith, I turned to Jan and said, "It's interesting to hear journalists talking about faith." She said, "When someone models faith the way Tim Russert did, without cramming it down people's throats, people admire that."
Tim was not only a great news man, he was a family man. And a man who lived the Jesus life through his calling as a newscaster.
It's sad that he will not be a part of what promises to be one of the most interesting presidential races in a long time.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Mindless Ramblings
I received an email from one of my avid Blog readers who wondered why I haven't written a post in awhile. It has been several weeks, hasn't it! I replied back that I've been doing so much writing lately for our new Summer of Thanks-fullness emphasis at Grace on how to complain, gossip, and criticize less and thank, compliment, and build-up more that I've sort of run out of things to post on the blog.
Plus, it's summer and summer is a time for me to rest my brain a bit and let it fill up so that I can share my vast wisdom and insights with you on a more regular basis.
Plus, the truth is, there is so much I'd like to comment on that I have nothing significant to say about anything right now.
So there you have it. A post about why I haven't written anything lately that basically says nothing demonstrating the premise for this post that I have nothing to say.
But, in the blogging world, having nothing to say and saying so is better than saying nothing at all.
So there--I've said nothing in order to keep you avid readers of my blog.
Plus, it's summer and summer is a time for me to rest my brain a bit and let it fill up so that I can share my vast wisdom and insights with you on a more regular basis.
Plus, the truth is, there is so much I'd like to comment on that I have nothing significant to say about anything right now.
So there you have it. A post about why I haven't written anything lately that basically says nothing demonstrating the premise for this post that I have nothing to say.
But, in the blogging world, having nothing to say and saying so is better than saying nothing at all.
So there--I've said nothing in order to keep you avid readers of my blog.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Pastors Gone Wild
Today, another pastor, a supporter of Obama and speaking in Obama's Chicago congregation, was outed on Youtube. (I tried linking to two different sites with no luck. Go to Youtube and search for Michael Pfleger.) He said some extremely nasty (to say the least) things about Hillary Clinton to the cheers of the congregation.
Pastors making "political" speeches dressed up as sermons is nothing new. For the last 20 years or so it's been the religious right causing the most controversy from the pulpit. But the progressive left hasn't been out of the loop at all, just under the radar.
But this stuff, on the heals of the often profound and at the same time unbelievably bombastic comments of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, leaves me as a pastor shaking my head in frustration, sorrow, and a bit of anger. Where in the Gospel does Jesus ever call us to make racist, hate-filled comments about another, be that person male, female, white, black, olive, or purple? Where in the Gospel does Jesus ever call us, as preachers, to arrogantly suggest that we have it right and the world has it wrong? Where in the Gospel does Jesus ever call us to applaud the racist, bombastic speeches of some of our preachers? Why do we sit there and take it? Jesus calls us to love our enemies, even our oppressors, not to ridicule them and resort to their tactics.
Yes, the Gospel has profound implications for politics, the environment, life, work, suffering, and so on. But the Gospel is about a subversive Kingdom that transforms society and life by the power of grace, not through racial mudslinging. The Gospel doesn't endorse one candidate over another. The Gospel does not endorse riling up the crowd around bigoted rhetoric. The Gospel calls us to go back into the world as servants of grace--empowering us with grace to free the oppressed, point the sinner to a forgiving Christ, to accept the unacceptable, to pray for our candidates, even those with whom we disagree, and to vote for the person whom we feel most represents what we believe will make a great leader.
The Gospel is about Jesus and his kingdom. It's not about Clinton, or Obama or McCain. The Gospel will certainly inform my voting decisions. But the pulpit is no place for candidate bashing or even candidate endorsing. The pulpit is a place for people to hear the call of Jesus to live by grace.
(It's never a good idea for the church to get into bed with a particular candidate. In the end it leaves us naked and ashamed. It's one thing for an individual Christian to support a candidate. It's another for a congregation or denomination to publicly endorse someone. It robs us of the opportunity to speak grace when the candidate moves into un-graceful policies, actions, etc.)
One political observer suggests it may be time for all the candidates to distance themselves from the church and get on with the election. If the church is sidelined, it's not the fault of the "world." We are doing it to ourselves through pastors and congregations who have mixed-up political rhetoric for the Gospel.
And--by the way--Barak Obama is not responsible for the comments of this latest pastor. I appreciate the fact that he and John McCain stepped up and condemned such non-Christian remarks.
Pastors--it's time we get wild about Jesus again!
Pastors making "political" speeches dressed up as sermons is nothing new. For the last 20 years or so it's been the religious right causing the most controversy from the pulpit. But the progressive left hasn't been out of the loop at all, just under the radar.
But this stuff, on the heals of the often profound and at the same time unbelievably bombastic comments of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, leaves me as a pastor shaking my head in frustration, sorrow, and a bit of anger. Where in the Gospel does Jesus ever call us to make racist, hate-filled comments about another, be that person male, female, white, black, olive, or purple? Where in the Gospel does Jesus ever call us, as preachers, to arrogantly suggest that we have it right and the world has it wrong? Where in the Gospel does Jesus ever call us to applaud the racist, bombastic speeches of some of our preachers? Why do we sit there and take it? Jesus calls us to love our enemies, even our oppressors, not to ridicule them and resort to their tactics.
Yes, the Gospel has profound implications for politics, the environment, life, work, suffering, and so on. But the Gospel is about a subversive Kingdom that transforms society and life by the power of grace, not through racial mudslinging. The Gospel doesn't endorse one candidate over another. The Gospel does not endorse riling up the crowd around bigoted rhetoric. The Gospel calls us to go back into the world as servants of grace--empowering us with grace to free the oppressed, point the sinner to a forgiving Christ, to accept the unacceptable, to pray for our candidates, even those with whom we disagree, and to vote for the person whom we feel most represents what we believe will make a great leader.
The Gospel is about Jesus and his kingdom. It's not about Clinton, or Obama or McCain. The Gospel will certainly inform my voting decisions. But the pulpit is no place for candidate bashing or even candidate endorsing. The pulpit is a place for people to hear the call of Jesus to live by grace.
(It's never a good idea for the church to get into bed with a particular candidate. In the end it leaves us naked and ashamed. It's one thing for an individual Christian to support a candidate. It's another for a congregation or denomination to publicly endorse someone. It robs us of the opportunity to speak grace when the candidate moves into un-graceful policies, actions, etc.)
One political observer suggests it may be time for all the candidates to distance themselves from the church and get on with the election. If the church is sidelined, it's not the fault of the "world." We are doing it to ourselves through pastors and congregations who have mixed-up political rhetoric for the Gospel.
And--by the way--Barak Obama is not responsible for the comments of this latest pastor. I appreciate the fact that he and John McCain stepped up and condemned such non-Christian remarks.
Pastors--it's time we get wild about Jesus again!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Groaning for Grace
This past Sunday we did something different (at least for us) during worship. Rather than having a sermon, we interspersed worship songs with times of prayer--focused specifically on five areas: The natural disasters of the last few weeks (tornadoes, cyclones, earthquakes, fires); Violence/War/Oppression; Poverty/hunger/homelessness; Racial tension; and our own day to day stuff.
It was a powerful reminder of a world that, as Paul puts it in Romans 8, groans for grace. So often we think only of individual suffering, but all of creation groans and sighs under the weight of brokenness, waiting for the day when God will resurrect and recreate not only our bodies but this world he still loves.
It's also a reminder that grace isn't simply about saving souls. It's about bringing hope and healing to all facets of creation, whether through fighting against unjust systems, teaching people new skills to care for themselves, practicing environmentally-friendly living, or through forgiving our enemies.
Grace is for all who groan under the weight of suffering. It is global and personal.
It's always been there in the Bible, from Romans 8 to Genesis 1 to John 3:16, but speaking for myself, for much of my life, I've missed the global perspective of grace. Thank God his grace patiently opened my eyes. By his grace I'm honored to be a part of a congregation that personally cares about the global groans and wants to respond with grace.
It was a powerful reminder of a world that, as Paul puts it in Romans 8, groans for grace. So often we think only of individual suffering, but all of creation groans and sighs under the weight of brokenness, waiting for the day when God will resurrect and recreate not only our bodies but this world he still loves.
It's also a reminder that grace isn't simply about saving souls. It's about bringing hope and healing to all facets of creation, whether through fighting against unjust systems, teaching people new skills to care for themselves, practicing environmentally-friendly living, or through forgiving our enemies.
Grace is for all who groan under the weight of suffering. It is global and personal.
It's always been there in the Bible, from Romans 8 to Genesis 1 to John 3:16, but speaking for myself, for much of my life, I've missed the global perspective of grace. Thank God his grace patiently opened my eyes. By his grace I'm honored to be a part of a congregation that personally cares about the global groans and wants to respond with grace.
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