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.

Will Things Ever Change?

I am feeling discouraged.

Over the last couple of weeks I have spent a lot of time catching up on what's happening in Sacramento and Washington DC in regards to Immigration. I have read articles, listened to speeches and even watched all 2 hours of a committee hearing on the DREAM Act. Maybe it's just because Immigration is my "thing", but it seems like it's everywhere these days.

Everyone is talking about it, but nothing is changing. In fact, things are getting worse. There have been more deportations under the Obama administration then under Bush. There is complete chaos at the state level as everyone tries to take a federal matter into their own hands. And most important to me, those I care so much about feel more hopeless than ever. The list of faith communities, organizations, government entities and business' that support the DREAM Act and Comprehensive Reform are staggering. Most people who have taken the time to educate themselves on the reality of our Immigration system have come to the conclusion that the status-quo just isn't right. But still, nothing changes.

The more I seek out answers to my questions like, "Why did Obama promise to pass reform in his first year of presidency and then do nothing?" or, "Why did Republican Senators who previously sponsored the DREAM Act vote against it last December?" I have come to realize that those checks and balances we learn about in 12th grade government can be kind of pesky at times. I don't mean to sound like a conspiracist or ungrateful for our democracy, but the truth is, I am pretty frustrated.

While politicians are busy figuring out how to get re-elected or what bills to hold hostage to get their own bills passed, my neighbors are paying the price. They are struggling to put food on the table, help their children get through school, and push forward in the midst of dear loved ones being deported. I know that some will say they brought this struggle upon themselves by coming here without documentation, but I still can't help but sense God's deep love and compassion for their situations.

I am committed to seeing this through but I often wonder how long I will have to wait to see my friends and family receive the same rights I was given at birth.

I am praying for a victory...even a small one.

Immigrant Day 2011

The last 48 hours have been a complete whirl wind.

Monday night, a group of us from Solidarity headed to meet some friends in Santa Ana to catch a bus headed to our state's capitol. Once we arrived, we grabbed breakfast before taking part in the Inter Faith Prayer Service. I was honored to lead the prayer on behalf of the Evangelical Community. You can find what I shared here. One of the highlights for me was hearing Steve Li share about his incarceration last year and getting the opportunity to meet him in person. We spent lunch preparing for our afternoon visits with the Assembly members and Senators from Orange County. We were able to meet and share our thoughts on Immigration with Mimi Walters, Curt Hagman and Chris Norby, all of which were sensitive and understanding of our call for them to do the right thing! We also met with the staff of Jeff Miller and Alan Mansoor, which proved to be equally as exciting. It was so awesome to see democracy first hand and take advantage of the power we have as citizens to hold our leaders accountable. I'm already looking forward to next year, except I think I will fly...I might be getting too old for the drive all night thing.

Here are some pictures from the day!

Waiting for the bus

Sleeping on this bus proved to be impossible!

Sharing my heart for the Church at the Inter Faith Prayer Service

Proud to represent the OC!

Strategizing our Leg visits

Waiting outside one of the many offices we visited

I was so glad Viviana could join us representing her mixed status family.

Our OC Team

Although incredibly exhausting, this trip reminded me how life changing this work is and how blessed I am to be in this fight with so many exceptional people. I feel more confident than ever that we will see Comprehensive Reform in the next few years and I am really looking forward to all the Green Card and Citizenship parties we will be throwing in our neighborhood! I just hope the Church gets on board and realizes how important it is to be apart of this.

My Prayer for Immigrant Day 2011

It was such an honor to be able to lead my fellow Evangelicals in a prayer during the Inter Faith Prayer Service at Immigrant Day 2011. Here is what I shared.

It’s an honor and a pleasure to be here with you all today representing the Evangelical community. We are all here because we have a burden. We have a burden for justice either in our own life or the lives of our friends and families. Today, I am burdened by the hardships my undocumented neighbors face everyday. I am burdened by my young friend whose dad was deported less than two weeks ago and whose family lives in fear that their mom and two oldest sisters will be deported as well. I am burdened for the young man from my neighborhood who is struggling through college with the hope that by the time he graduates, things will be different. I am burdened by the dad in my neighborhood who dreads even leaving our street for fear of being stopped at the checkpoints that are frequently set up around us. But perhaps the heaviest burden I carry today is for my Christian brothers and sisters. I fear that the Church might be missing an opportunity to be what Jesus has called us to be. I fear that instead of loving our enemies, caring for the orphans, and welcoming the strangers we are busy building walls, both figuratively and literally. I am afraid that too many of my brothers and sisters make judgments about Immigrants out of fear and ignorance and they are missing an opportunity to be more like Christ by loving their neighbors as themselves. My prayer is not only that freedom and justice will spring forth for my friends and neighbors, but my prayer is also that the Church will be the revolutionary agent of love and peace it was created to be. Will you pray with me as we lift these burdens to our Lord and Savior?

God, we know that you are a God of justice. We know that you love and care so deeply for the immigrants in our community. We know that you know exactly what it feels like to be a stranger in the land and we know that your heart breaks every time a worker is taken advantage of, a family is separated, or the dream of a student is diminished by our broken system. But we also know that you have created an institution that is the answer to all of our societal problems. You created the Church to be your physical representation on earth. Lord we pray for the countless individuals and families who struggle daily to live a life of dignity in a society that tells them they are less than. We pray for your presence to be felt in the homes of each of our immigrant brothers and sisters and Lord we pray for comprehensive reform that reflects the values of your Word. But Lord we also pray for your church, for our church. We pray that you will help us to see our undocumented neighbors as you do, as your beloved creation deserving of freedom and opportunity to live life to their full potential. We pray that you will help us to boldly stand and proclaim that you love the Immigrant and because of your deep love for them, we will love them as well. Help us to turn our pity into compassion and our charity into action. Help us to fight for your justice with unconditional grace and love. Lord, help us to be the Church you intended us to be and help us to love like you created us to Love. Lord, help us to me more like you. Thank you for this opportunity to grow in our relationships with you as we engage the hurting and broken world around us. May your name be glorified through our actions today and may the freedom you talk about in your scriptures be wholly felt by all of us here and those whose stories weigh heavy on our hearts. We love you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Jesus loved Osama Bin Laden...and he loves undocumented Immigrants too.

May 1, 2011.

Osama Bin Laden is dead.

The world is celebrating?

Let me start by saying that I, as the wife of someone who lost his grandmother in the 9-11 attacks, know full well the devastation this man has caused. He did many evil things and was responsible for the loss of many innocent lives. Our society tells us that he most certainly deserves a torturous death. Our Americanism tells us "justice has been served."

But I have to ask, since when are we, as Christians, supposed to conform to the world around us? Our Jesus taught us another way. He taught us to turn the other cheek and to love our enemies. Why is it that we can preach this in such shallow contexts, but when it comes to something that challenges OUR country, we get lost in our patriotism? I am afraid far to many Christians were praying for Bin Laden's death instead of his salvation. Didn't Jesus love Osama Bin Laden? Didn't Jesus die on the cross for him, too? If we don't believe that God is big enough to save even the most evil doers, then what's the point? We should be lamenting the likely possibility that Bin Laden did not chose the love Christ had for him.

This is a blog about Immigration. So are you ready for the connection?? Here it comes....

We are Christians first. We are to adhere to the life God has called us to rather than giving in to our human flesh. Our human flesh is to protect our own, look out for ourselves, and stand against anyone who challenges our comfort. I am afraid this is the biggest block for Christians when it comes to embracing Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Simply put, people are scared.

The thing is I feel like we should be way more afraid of a meaningless and self absorbed life that happens when we lose sight of the revolutionary way God has called us to love and live. As someone who has been trying to love the "enemies" of so many Americans for a few years now, I know I would not be the person I am without these relationships. God has used my feeble attempts to love my neighbors as myself to draw me deeper into His purpose. I am so thankful for this because I have seen a small glimpse of God's Kingdom on earth. It has helped me to hope for a better way that I so desperately want everyone to see. What if we surpassed fear, ignorance, slander and mass-hysteria for the depth that comes with true faith? What if we looked at our so called enemies as Christ does?

Maybe I am idealistic, I think I am ok with that, but I am pretty confident that if we, as the Church, loved as Christ did, we would treat the "strangers among us" very differently. I also think we would not celebrate the death of someone who most likely will spend his eternity separated from God.

Where is the Church?

When I was 17, I went on a trip to Ukraine with youth from my church. We spent a week and a half in a little town called Novovolynsk and although most of the time is a blur, there is one day that is ingrained in my memory forever.

It was a Sunday and we visited the church we were partnering with. After the service, the pastor took us on a tour of the city to show us all the different ministries this church was involved in. The tour took a few hours and it seriously blew my (young, immature) mind. We visited the farms that they ran in order to provide jobs for those who were unemployed and food for those who were hungry. (One of their farms harvested lettuce that was purchased and used by EVERY SINGLE McDonald's in the country!!) We visited the coffee shop/community center that provided a safe place for the youth to hang out. We visited the only drug and alcohol rehab center in the area that provided free care the community. We visited the downtown area, where the pastor and lay leaders regularly met with the City officials as equal partners in running the city. Are you getting the picture? This church was an integral part of the society in this little city and beyond. They were at the table for every discussion affecting the people and development of the city. This church was not afraid of engaging in political issues, because they understood that advocating is a Christian mandate. If it affected those God had called them to love, then they were there.

As I reflect on my experience on this trip, I can't help but wonder how drastically different our society would be if the church in America was more like this church in Novovolynsk. What if we weren't afraid of members leaving or scaring people away by taking a stand on social issues? What if we boldly proclaimed that we have the answer to ALL of societies problems and what if we acted on that truth? What if those outside of the church saw us as an institution that was desperately NEEDED in all aspects of society? What if we loved every orphan, every drug addict, every displaced person, every politician, every CEO with the confidence that HIS love is enough to change the world?

President Obama recently sat down with a group of political and faith leaders to discuss Immigration and ask for their help in finding solutions for our broken Immigration system. I am thankful that he recognizes the importance and influence of the faith community, but I wonder how many within the Body, are willing to be apart of that discussion. It's funny that Christians are some of the most passionate patriots our country has, yet we say "the Church shouldn't be involved in politics." I believe we should be all up in politics. We should be holding our leaders accountable to the standards and values this country was founded on. We should be the loudest ones advocating for the rights, justice and protection of the weak among us. We should be involved in politics, not to gain power and prestige, but simply because we have the answer. It's time we get back to the scriptures, seek out His wisdom in the many issues affecting the world around us, and assert the voice God has given us.

*DISCLAIMER*This post is really painting a broad stroke of the American church in general. I am not so cynical and arrogant to believe or state that every single US church is totally off base. I just think we can be better :)

Anchor Baby Revolution

I held a one week old baby boy tonight. He is perfectly beautiful and I was instantly in love. He’s just a little guy, weighing in at just over 6 pounds. He has all this hair and likes to pucker his big lips. His name is JJ and he is what many sadly refer to as an “anchor baby”.

You see, his mother is a 15 year old girl from Central America who upon finding out she was pregnant decided to make the dangerous journey to the US. She is an illegal immigrant.

As I was holding JJ I thought about how innocent he is. I thought about how happy he must make Jesus, laying there in his purest form, untouched by the darkness of the world. I thought about what it will be like for him to grow up and the hardships he will surely face being a child of an immigrant.

Then I thought about the new life he must have brought to his mom. This young girl comes from a place infested with violence, poverty and corruption. She has lived more life and seen more devastation in her 15 years than most do in a lifetime.

I hate that many in our country (including far too many in our Church) will never see past the law breaking act of crossing the border to have her baby. I hate that there will be people who think she is manipulative, selfish and wants nothing more than to live off the benefits of having an American Citizen child. Many things will be assumed about her while very few people actually try to get to know her. I hate that many will not see her innocence or her pure intent. I hate that many will not realize how selfless she actually is. I hate that her heroic act of traveling 2000 miles, alone and pregnant, just so that her baby won’t have to worry about being kidnapped and trafficked by the gangs or know what it feels like to slowly starve to death, will go unnoticed.

I don’t want to suggest that anyone who is pregnant should be able to come here and I don’t mean to over emotionalize our current Immigration situation. I simply want to remind us that there are beating hearts behind this issue. There are people like JJ and his mom who want nothing more than to live a life of dignity. I want us to ask ourselves the difficult questions. I want us to see JJ and his mom and think about what it would look like to love them well. I want us to think about the millions more who were not as lucky as JJ. I want us to consider our part in loving those who have crossed our borders while figuring out our role in the transformation that needs to happen in the places people are coming from. This issue calls for more than new policy; it calls for an army of Christians who are ready to fight poverty and corruption with peace and love. As believers, I don’t think we can complain about the drain JJ and his mom might be on our economy while we do nothing to address the reasons they are here in the first place.

Sometimes I feel hopeless because I know we have such a long way to go.

But then I remember who our God is.

I remember that when Jesus looks at JJ and his mom, He does not see an illegal immigrant and her anchor baby. He sees His son and daughter who He loves with all His heart and who He was willing to die for. I can’t help but hope for the kind of revolution that would occur if we were all more like Christ in this way.