I am horrible at fasting. Just ask my husband what I'm like after missing even just one meal. It's not pretty.
But I do love Jesus and I've got to tell you, I have been DESPERATE for more of Him lately.
I have been in this fight for Immigration reform for a few years now, and boy is it a roller coaster ride. One day there is all this excitement and hope because a Republican Congressman came out in support of reform, and the next it seems completely hopeless because another Congressman says Immigration Reform is dead. Things have really amped up in the last year and specifically the last couple of months. There was excitement as over 600 conservatives, including many Evangelical leaders, gathered in DC late October calling on Congress to pass reform by the end of the year. Yet here we are, December 4th with only a handful of days left in the year and we've got nothing.
I have felt so discouraged and hopeless over the last couple of weeks. I have lamented to God about this and you know what He told me...pretty much as clear as day?
"Bethany, why are you putting your hope in man?"
"What God, No I'm not!! I pray all the time for Reform."
"But Bethany, if you are hopeless because man is not moving, then will you only be hopeful if they are moving? Put your hope in Me."
Shoot. He's totally right.
It's so easy to say my hope is in Jesus but it's a whole other thing to actually put your hope in Him. Like fully and completely in Him. I want to though, so so badly. Like I said, I am desperate for HIM. I am confident that my passion for this cause is motivated by my passion for God, but it is so easy to get swept away in the fight and lose sight of why we are fighting in the first place. It's not about meeting with important people, planning events, or influencing legislation. I need to return to what this is all about: chasing after God's heart.
While I've been wallowing over here a group of people began fasting on November 12th on the National Mall. You can read more about that here. As I've followed the story, something really stirred in my heart. I felt something in me say, "Go. Join them." That voice kept getting louder and louder and finally, I decided to listen. It doesn't make any sense, I know I can fast anywhere, I know God is everywhere and I have a one year old, for goodness sake!
But when God says "Go," you go.
This is my Spiritual Pilgrimage. I am going with an expecting heart and if I am honest, a nervous one too. Like I said, I stink at fasting. I get cranky, forget to pray, and usually give up. This time though, I know I will have to stick it out because I will be sitting with people who have been fasting for days and will continue to do so long after I leave. I know I will stick it out because God is good and He will sustain me. I truly believe that.
I am fasting for families, for immigration reform and most importantly, to set aside a space and time to align my heart with God's. I am fasting because my hope is in God, and God alone. Just as He will sustain me and the other fasters, He will sustain my friends and neighbors. He will deliver them. He will bring freedom. It's not a matter of if, but when. Even if man does not move, He will move.
Will you join me in this? Click here and see how you can!
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Monday, May 21, 2012
Law of the Land
Last week, I had the privileged and honor of attending Immigrant Pathways Institute in Chicago. Basically, I spent about 9-10 hours a day learning, studying, and researching our current Immigration Laws. In addition, I was able to engage in some challenging theological discussion with seminary students, Biblical theologians, professors, pastors and lawyers. After only a week of class, I don't claim to be an expert, but I do feel like I gained some specific insight, some of which I would like to share here. It's hard to summarize all that I learned and how the Lord is stirring in my heart, so bare with me as I try and articulate it all.
1. We can't start with the law. As Christians, we have to start with Scripture. If we start at the Cross, and continue to keep that our focal point, then we can not help but to see all humanity as made in the Image of God. All are worth His death, so all should be worth our time, love and energy. No one is beyond His grace, so as we try to be like Him, we must strive to extend His grace as well. Noel Castellanos, Executive Director of CCDA, said it brilliantly, "Justice is about all people being made in God's Image and injustice is anything that tries to strip that truth from people." If we look at the issue of Immigration from this point, we can't help but seek to learn before we judge. We have to hear the stories, understand the motives, look at the law in light of God's justice, and shape our opinion from that place.
2. We are called to submit to the law, which does not always mean follow it. Danny Carroll, author of "Christians at the Border" and a theologian from Denver Seminary, made this point way more eloquently than I ever could as he explained it during one of our devotions during the week. He shared that there is a difference between submitting and following. In Romans 13, Paul is clear that "whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement (vs. 2, NRSV)." The problem is that so many Christians end the discussion with this verse. I think this is unfortunate because the scripture also makes it clear that there are times when we are not to follow the law of the land, but submit to the authority and consequences that may come from doing so. In Acts 5:27-42, we see the story of Peter and the apostles being brought before the authorities who are angry that they have disobeyed the law of the land by continuing to preach in the name of Jesus. The apostles respond to this anger by saying, "We must obey God rather than human authority (vs. 29, NRSV)." There are times when the law of the land does not match the law of God, and we have to choose God's law. This does not mean, however, that we do not still submit to the authorities. In Acts, there is no account of Peter and the apostles resisting the punishment issued by the law of the land. They willingly take the punishment and submit to the authorities without following their law.
3. God's law is clear when it comes to immigrants. If we look at scripture, the values we find in the Old Testament, and the commandments throughout the New Testament, it is clear we are called to love and welcome the stranger. We are called to treat the immigrant like someone who is native born. If you don't believe me, take a look at one of these many verses, just to name a few: Leviticus 19:33-34, Deuteronomy 10:18, Deuteronomy 24:19-21, Exodus 12:49, Psalm 146:9, Zechariah 7:10, Malachi 3:5, Matthew 25:35-36 and 40, Hebrews 13:2.
4. The Law is unjust. This may be controversial for some people, but this is the honest conclusion I have come to. For starters, it has not been fully enforced for decades. By not asserting the law, it does lose a bit of it's authority and our government finds itself in a place of contradiction. In the past 20 years or so, we have made it relatively easy for people to come here, find work, start lives, lay roots, all while giving them very few rights. Now, our country seems to be in a bit of a dilemma. We have 12 million+ undocumented immigrants in our country, many of which were small children when their parents brought them here, and now we want to start enforcing the law? Basically saying, "While we felt like you benefited us, we were OK with overlooking the law, but now that we are struggling and it seems like there just isn't enough to go around, we would like you to leave. Oh, and by the way, since it will be WAY too expensive to round you all up and deport you, we are just going to pass more and more laws that make life miserable for you, so you will chose to leave on your own. Who cares if you have children who have lived here for practically their entire lives, or if you have continually paid your taxes, been apart of our churches, served our food, cleaned our houses, taken care of our children and grandparents, we just don't want you anymore." Supporters of laws like Arizona's SB 1070, or Alabama's HB 56 might tell these immigrants to "get in line" and "do things the right way." What was overwhelming clear to me as I studied the law in depth, is that for the majority of those who are undocumented, this is impossible. These "lines," for the few that may qualify, are upwards of 20-30 years. As I learned the different ways people can migrate legally, the countless names and faces of my neighbors went through my head. I thought about their stories and their backgrounds and realized that there is probably not even one who, under our current law, would ever be able to migrate legally. I just can not wrap my head and heart around how this could possibly be just or how this could be what God wants.
5. Immigration in our country is an incredible opportunity for the Church. When I look at my own story and how God has shaped me, specifically in the last 7 years, I realize that the immigrants in my life have played a crucial role in it. As I have focused my energy on depth with Christ while I seek to love and minister to my neighbors, I have learned more about God's heart for His people, unending grace, racism, entitlement, evangelism, vision for the future, and purpose for my own life, than I ever could have imagined. Not only do we have the nations at our doorstep, making the great commission a whole heck of a lot easier, but the opportunity for redemption of our past is GREAT. Let's be honest, the mainstream Church has missed the boat on some huge justice issues throughout our history. Slavery, Chinese Exclusion Act, Civil Rights, just to name a few. Are we going to let history repeat itself? Are we going to sit by silently while fear of the other and entitlement guides our thoughts, words, and actions? Or are we going to stand up and proclaim that ALL humans are made in the image of God and we are not going to allow anything strip that truth from people? We have an opportunity to intervene in the lives of those who are vulnerable, suffering, and most definitely hurting as strangers in our land and share the Good News with those who do not already know Him, all while growing in our depth with Christ and becoming more and more like Him. I don't know about you, but I do not want my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to look back at this time in our history with shame that their fore fathers did not do more to advocate for the marginalized. I have a strong sense that we are at a crucial point in our history and I do not want us to miss the opportunity.
As I process all I am learning and what God has called me to, I have to continually ask God to break my heart for what breaks His. As I do this, I feel myself more and more burdened by the stories of my immigrant neighbors and the unfortunate apathy of many of my brothers and sisters.
Forgive us Lord and help us to be more like You.
*A special thank you to all those who shared their wisdom with me over the last week: Danny Carroll, Craig Williford, Matthew Soerens, Noel Castellanos, Bill Hamel, Alex Mandes, World Relief staff, Immigrant Hope staff, and Trinity Seminary Students.
1. We can't start with the law. As Christians, we have to start with Scripture. If we start at the Cross, and continue to keep that our focal point, then we can not help but to see all humanity as made in the Image of God. All are worth His death, so all should be worth our time, love and energy. No one is beyond His grace, so as we try to be like Him, we must strive to extend His grace as well. Noel Castellanos, Executive Director of CCDA, said it brilliantly, "Justice is about all people being made in God's Image and injustice is anything that tries to strip that truth from people." If we look at the issue of Immigration from this point, we can't help but seek to learn before we judge. We have to hear the stories, understand the motives, look at the law in light of God's justice, and shape our opinion from that place.
2. We are called to submit to the law, which does not always mean follow it. Danny Carroll, author of "Christians at the Border" and a theologian from Denver Seminary, made this point way more eloquently than I ever could as he explained it during one of our devotions during the week. He shared that there is a difference between submitting and following. In Romans 13, Paul is clear that "whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement (vs. 2, NRSV)." The problem is that so many Christians end the discussion with this verse. I think this is unfortunate because the scripture also makes it clear that there are times when we are not to follow the law of the land, but submit to the authority and consequences that may come from doing so. In Acts 5:27-42, we see the story of Peter and the apostles being brought before the authorities who are angry that they have disobeyed the law of the land by continuing to preach in the name of Jesus. The apostles respond to this anger by saying, "We must obey God rather than human authority (vs. 29, NRSV)." There are times when the law of the land does not match the law of God, and we have to choose God's law. This does not mean, however, that we do not still submit to the authorities. In Acts, there is no account of Peter and the apostles resisting the punishment issued by the law of the land. They willingly take the punishment and submit to the authorities without following their law.
3. God's law is clear when it comes to immigrants. If we look at scripture, the values we find in the Old Testament, and the commandments throughout the New Testament, it is clear we are called to love and welcome the stranger. We are called to treat the immigrant like someone who is native born. If you don't believe me, take a look at one of these many verses, just to name a few: Leviticus 19:33-34, Deuteronomy 10:18, Deuteronomy 24:19-21, Exodus 12:49, Psalm 146:9, Zechariah 7:10, Malachi 3:5, Matthew 25:35-36 and 40, Hebrews 13:2.
4. The Law is unjust. This may be controversial for some people, but this is the honest conclusion I have come to. For starters, it has not been fully enforced for decades. By not asserting the law, it does lose a bit of it's authority and our government finds itself in a place of contradiction. In the past 20 years or so, we have made it relatively easy for people to come here, find work, start lives, lay roots, all while giving them very few rights. Now, our country seems to be in a bit of a dilemma. We have 12 million+ undocumented immigrants in our country, many of which were small children when their parents brought them here, and now we want to start enforcing the law? Basically saying, "While we felt like you benefited us, we were OK with overlooking the law, but now that we are struggling and it seems like there just isn't enough to go around, we would like you to leave. Oh, and by the way, since it will be WAY too expensive to round you all up and deport you, we are just going to pass more and more laws that make life miserable for you, so you will chose to leave on your own. Who cares if you have children who have lived here for practically their entire lives, or if you have continually paid your taxes, been apart of our churches, served our food, cleaned our houses, taken care of our children and grandparents, we just don't want you anymore." Supporters of laws like Arizona's SB 1070, or Alabama's HB 56 might tell these immigrants to "get in line" and "do things the right way." What was overwhelming clear to me as I studied the law in depth, is that for the majority of those who are undocumented, this is impossible. These "lines," for the few that may qualify, are upwards of 20-30 years. As I learned the different ways people can migrate legally, the countless names and faces of my neighbors went through my head. I thought about their stories and their backgrounds and realized that there is probably not even one who, under our current law, would ever be able to migrate legally. I just can not wrap my head and heart around how this could possibly be just or how this could be what God wants.
5. Immigration in our country is an incredible opportunity for the Church. When I look at my own story and how God has shaped me, specifically in the last 7 years, I realize that the immigrants in my life have played a crucial role in it. As I have focused my energy on depth with Christ while I seek to love and minister to my neighbors, I have learned more about God's heart for His people, unending grace, racism, entitlement, evangelism, vision for the future, and purpose for my own life, than I ever could have imagined. Not only do we have the nations at our doorstep, making the great commission a whole heck of a lot easier, but the opportunity for redemption of our past is GREAT. Let's be honest, the mainstream Church has missed the boat on some huge justice issues throughout our history. Slavery, Chinese Exclusion Act, Civil Rights, just to name a few. Are we going to let history repeat itself? Are we going to sit by silently while fear of the other and entitlement guides our thoughts, words, and actions? Or are we going to stand up and proclaim that ALL humans are made in the image of God and we are not going to allow anything strip that truth from people? We have an opportunity to intervene in the lives of those who are vulnerable, suffering, and most definitely hurting as strangers in our land and share the Good News with those who do not already know Him, all while growing in our depth with Christ and becoming more and more like Him. I don't know about you, but I do not want my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to look back at this time in our history with shame that their fore fathers did not do more to advocate for the marginalized. I have a strong sense that we are at a crucial point in our history and I do not want us to miss the opportunity.
As I process all I am learning and what God has called me to, I have to continually ask God to break my heart for what breaks His. As I do this, I feel myself more and more burdened by the stories of my immigrant neighbors and the unfortunate apathy of many of my brothers and sisters.
Forgive us Lord and help us to be more like You.
*A special thank you to all those who shared their wisdom with me over the last week: Danny Carroll, Craig Williford, Matthew Soerens, Noel Castellanos, Bill Hamel, Alex Mandes, World Relief staff, Immigrant Hope staff, and Trinity Seminary Students.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
My Heroes
What would you risk for God's calling?
I have to admit, I've never had to risk too much. I know who I am, what I am called to do, and I am blessed to freely pursue it without putting myself at risk. Well, I suppose an anti-Immigrant activist could stumble upon this little blog and decide I am so valuable to their opposition that they should take me out...but really, what are the chances of that happening?
As you might have read here, I have been feeling a little discouraged about my efforts in this fight and quite hopeless that I will actually see meaningful change. God is funny though. I guess He actually listens to my whining because He sent me 2 great reminders of His hand in all this. It was just what I needed.
The first reminder happened as I was catching up with a dear friend and colleague the other day. This girl is one of my heroes and throughout our conversation, I remembered why. This friend is an amazing advocate for the poor, oppressed, and immigrant. Funny thing is, she happens to be undocumented her self. Having come here at a young age, she knows full well the struggle of an Immigrant family. Although her family was able to legalize, because of one incorrect form, she was not able to attain legal status here. As we were talking about some recent events in her life, she shared with me how some of her family is afraid she is putting herself at risk by being such an outspoken advocate against injustice. She said to me, "But Bethany, I refuse to live in fear." It is clear that God called her to this work, or should I say, God called her to be HERE and do this work. She is willing to risk everything for her calling, not just because Reform will be worth it, but ultimately, because He is worth it. She is not bitter. She does not complain. She is not afraid. She just lives how God has called her to live.
My second reminder came later that day as I connected with another friend. I have admired this friend from a far for quite a while. For starters, she is brilliant. Seriously, brilliant. She is so articulate, humble, kind, selfless, determined...really, the list could go on and on. She is also undocumented and the perfect representation of a DREAM Act student. She not only graduated from college, but she has her Master's in Psychology. Like I said, she's pretty smart. Even though her status here prevents her from fully pursuing her career, she refuses to sit on the sidelines and wait for our government to recognize her worth. Instead, she uses her education and experience to help people who could not otherwise afford the support of a counselor. After we spoke, it hit me that she gets something most do not. You see, she knows that God has called her to something bigger and no matter what the law prohibits her from doing, she will find a way to pursue that higher calling.
My friends. My partners in the Kingdom. My heroes. They remind me why I am here. They remind me that it's not really about the cause, but about chasing after a God who loves us all equally. It's about for-going this earthly kingdom for His Kingdom. You know...the Kingdom where no one is "illegal".
Yeah, that's what I am living for.
That's what I am fighting for.
And to my dear friends, you know who you are, thank you for inspiring me, teaching me, and being in this fight with me. Thank you for reminding me that His Kingdom is worth risking everything for. I look forward to the day when you receive that little piece of paper in the mail that tells you what we already know: you belong here. I am with you to the end.
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