Evangelicals may have largely missed the civil rights battles of the 1960s, but we do not intend to repeat our mistake in 2010.~Galen Carey
More than 20 of us from Southern California grassroots organizations when to Phoenix, AZ last week. Galen Carey writes about it in the Washington Post here. Carey is the Director of Government Affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals.
Along with partner organizations, we sponsored a meeting in Phoenix, Arizona this week to study the Scriptures, pray and call our leaders to action on immigration reform. Evangelical leaders also led similar events in Denver, Miami, Santa Ana, Chicago and Memphis. We heard noted civil rights leader John Perkins and civil rights historian Troy Jackson challenge evangelicals to stand with immigrants in the struggle for justice.
I had the opportunity to meet Galen at the morning session Institutional Baptist Church where we had a good conversation about the NAE's position and its willingness to speak out and take action on this issue.
Our current system contradicts our nation's deepest values. The teachings of almost every religious tradition uphold the virtue of corporate as well as individual hospitality. The Hebrew Scriptures command not only hospitality, but love--because God himself loves the sojourner. Jesus went out of his way to honor the despised Samaritans and fully identified himself with the foreigner. Those who welcome strangers are said to be entertaining angels.
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