July Fourth. Glenn Ellyn, Illinois. My friends and I had just finished barbequing. As dusk approached, we hopped into my car to go see the fireworks at Lake Ellyn. After spending more time than we should have trying to find a parking spot, we rushed over to Lake Ellyn as the fireworks began before […]Continue Reading →
The lenses that we wear certainly affect the way we see the world. The fifteen years that my wife Kim and I lived in Latin America have greatly affected my vision. Today I love to get acquainted with immigrants, especially with those that have only recently arrived in our country. Often I imagine myself […]Continue Reading →
America prides itself for being the golden door of opportunity and freedom. Today, that ideal of being the refuge for the world is increasingly overshadowed by the competition for human capital in lucrative fields such as science, technology, and medicine. Instead of welcoming the “poor huddled masses,” it seems more politically-correct today to revise the […]Continue Reading →
This year marked the second time I have seen some of our undocumented students cross the stage at commencement. As I sat there I pondered what the future would hold for these students. My first thought was how honored I was to have met them and partnered with them in their journey […]Continue Reading →
Last Wednesday, Chick-Fil-A reportedly hit an all-time sales record. Hundreds of thousands of Americans—many of them evangelical Christians—proudly purchased a chicken sandwich to show their support for the restaurant chain, known by many Christians for the owners’ efforts to operate their business in ways consistent with biblical values. The crowds on Wednesday came […]Continue Reading →
There were 22 of us the other night gathered in the upper room of a church. Many of us had never met before. A common desire for justice and action drew us together. There were teenagers, young professionals, and mothers with babies. We were there for a training to get out the vote in […]Continue Reading →
When I was a sophomore at Bethel University, I was the top 1500-meter runner on my track team. Then, my junior year, a transfer student came, and she was really fast. She quickly took my place as the fastest miler on the team, winning multiple national championships in the process. I’ll admit to […]Continue Reading →
The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down key provisions of Arizona’s immigration law last month has roiled the American government on a federal and state level. Many progressive immigration officials at the federal level have considered the judicial ruling a win while Arizona government officials have faulted the current administration for its inability to […]Continue Reading →
The Supreme Court’s decision that knocked out Arizona’s strong law targeting undocumented immigrants spells trouble for other states’ look-alike laws. Even more interesting, however, are the legal arguments that lost. Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito each wrote dissenting opinions. Since they do not agree much with each other, these opinions encase legal theories that have […]Continue Reading →
Is breaking the law ever justifiable? As someone who has worked in immigration law for a number of years, I have good sense of the immigration situation in the U.S. In addition, as someone who has graduated from a Southern Baptist seminary, been a pastor and is an evangelical, I am acutely aware of […]Continue Reading →
