We are at two borders really. . .

Dr. Danny Carroll spoke to a group of 130 or so of us in Phoenix, AZ on January 26, 2010 at the Institutional Baptist Church on the topic of the Bible and Immigration.

We really are at two borders. One is a border between two countries. Another is a border between right and wrong. How will we treat other people, our neighbors? The Bible has some things to say about this. Those who identify as followers of Jesus may want to understand what the Bible has to say about immigration. And, we may want to understand how the biblical narrative is populated by immigrants.

Today, I see that the video of this event is to be released on March 2, 2010. I am glad to recommend it to you from Urban Entry. Their people were there all day filming--I am not sure what all will be on the video. If it is just the lecture by Dr. Carroll, it will be well worth the $20. All the better if it includes other parts of our day of prayer, education and action. Others were present on this day, including the National Association of Evangelicals, Sojourners' Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Christian Community Development Association, Neighborhood Ministries, MIKA CDC from Costa Mesa, California, and some folks from Kingdom Causes.

This is a preview:



Danny's book isChristians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible
 and is available in Spanish as Cristianos en la frontera/ Christians at the Border (Spanish Edition).

Christians at the Border-Nogales

In January this year, group of Christians, some of whom I know, took a trip to the  Nogales border town as part of an educational trip regarding immigration and immigration reform.



More than 20 of us from Los Angeles joined this same group on the following Tuesday to participate in an event in Phoenix. More on that here.

From La Opinión

Words are not enough…

Congress has an opportunity to debate and vote on immigration reform, an issue that has been relegated to the backburner for many years despite its importance to the economy and for millions of people who live and work in the shadows. Unfortunately, the moment is not being seized.

Immigration, Christians and the Church

I had the great opportunity of meeting Dr. Daniel Carroll in 2008 when he spoke at an event at Fuller Seminary. Last month, I had the opportunity to spend a little bit of time with Danny in Phoenix at an event on immigration and Evangelical Christianity. Other participants included Neighborhood Ministries, National Association of Evangelicals, the Christian Community Development Association,

Danny's blog directs us to this video of his contribution to this discussion at Willow Creek Church in Barrington, IL, near Chicago. It is particularly interesting to me that Willow Creek's Justice and Compassion ministry is taking some leadership on the issue of immigration. Leadership at the church has taken some risks in moving this forward. I appreciate that they are doing this and recommend this video of Danny Carroll's talk to you.

Sigue el debate sobre el censo

If I didn't already know there was a debate on this, I would not have thought of this. But Dr. Juan Martinez of Red de Pastores y Lideres and Fuller Seminary has some helpful resources for anyone who is interested and can influence Latinos and immigrants to participate in the 2010 Census on his Caminando con el Pueblo blog, Sigue el debate sobre el censo (in Spanish).

Everyone should participate in the Census. There are some very consequences for any community for not participating.

Prayer, Education and Advocacy in Phoenix

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.