Ecumenical Advocacy Days: Day One

I'm currently in Washington DC for a ecumenical conference on immigration reform. The opening worship service was incredibly inspiring and refreshing, and it was also sobering. One of the more memorable lines for me came during the opening of worship when the person giving the welcome noted that right now is a challenging time for many churches financially. He said that churches have a choice right now. They can become isolated and insular, scared of becoming obsolete and desperately trying to protect their own resources. Or, they can work together with other churches and other denominations to do the good work of peace and reconciliation in a broken world. Bridge-building work, as I like to call it. More and more, I am convinced that bridge-building must be the work of the church if it is to survive and remain relevant as we enter into the 21st century.

As the weekend continues, I look forward to learning more about immigration reform. I was struck, as I heard the testimonies of those who have seen the detrimental effects of our country's current immigration policies, by how much this idea of bridge-building is important as we think about our relationships with our neighbors in other countries. Do we build bridges of partnership and fellowship? Or do we build walls and fences made to keep people out? Do we work to keep families together as they struggle to provide for one another, or do we rip them apart; leaving children with no parents because their mother or father had the audacity to try and earn enough money to provide them with a better life? These are questions of justice that go beyond nationalism or patriotism. We must be concerned for all within the human family, not just those who can claim the label "American." Furthermore, if it is our country's bad policies which have forced our neighbors from the south to cross our borders simply to make enough money to survive, well, can we really call it justice to send them back into poverty?

I know that when it comes to immigration, there are no easy answers. But I also know that some of the answers must require a broader view of our current policies on immigration and trade. Not only that, but a truly Christian answer requires a good deal more compassion than some seem to be willing to give. In the Bible, God calls God's people again and again to welcome the stranger and alien in their midst. Many Christians in this country seem to have forgotten that call. I look forward to renewing my commitment to that call this weekend and going forward. In the words of a friend and fellow seminarian, I look forward to being one of "God's good troublemakers" in the world!