Editor’s note: The original version of this blog ran on March 18, 2013. When we encounter something that is not the way it should be in our society, God ultimately calls us to do something about it. James 2:14-25 speaks forcefully about the fact that our faith should manifest itself in concrete […]Continue Reading →
Recently, I wrote about how teaching English is a significant way you can share your power, your life, and perhaps even the Gospel. But even if you are unable to commit to teaching English in a classroom setting, you can still teach through personal relationships! Here are a few examples, […]Continue Reading →
In Mexico and other parts of Latin America—and among many Latino immigrants in the U.S.— Las Posadas is an important part of the celebration of Christmas. Las Posadas is a multi-day rehearsal of Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging as they arrived in Bethlehem, as Mary was about to give birth to Jesus. People […]Continue Reading →
Guest Blog by: Sarah Jackson After a long, exhausting day of traveling I collapsed into a little heap on the dirty Phoenix airport floor. I just spent three weeks traveling and was ready to be home. My return flight was delayed until the following day. My feet ached, the muscles in my body were sore […]Continue Reading →
When I’m asked how I became interested in immigration, I sometimes mention that I grew up in a part of the country—Northeast Wisconsin—where there really aren’t many immigrants and that, as such, for lack of meaningful relationships, most of my opinions about the topic until a few years ago were formed by television and other […]Continue Reading →
Guest Blog by Brynn Schmidt I lead a team at our church that serves one of the poorest schools in our community and county, with a large population of children from undocumented families. I have seen firsthand the effects that poverty and fear within the undocumented community, have on the children, and it breaks […]Continue Reading →
Guest Blog by Jason Ahlenius It has been two months since I have seen my friend Andrés and his brothers and father pull away from our apartment complex in their red pickup. Now I am sitting beside him again in this same pickup on the other side of the border headed for Capacuaro, Mexico. […]Continue Reading →
Tabitha defies a lot of the most common stereotypes about undocumented immigrants: she didn’t enter the country illegally, she’s not from Mexico, she speaks English fluently—and she’s certainly not a menace to be feared. To the contrary: she’s teaching the rest of us how to faithfully extend hospitality, even to strangers. She reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10: Jesus could have made the Samaritan the guy beat up on the side of the road to Jericho and the Israelite the noble neighbor who models love and compassion, but Jesus challenged his listeners’ assumptions. It was the Samaritan, a member of a despised group of outsiders, whom Jesus puts in the role of a neighbor. And he calls us to “go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).Continue Reading →
