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. 

The New Girl

Her face says it all. She is terrified, untrusting, confused, hungry and dirty. Her cheeks are sunken in and her lips as dry as the desert she just came from.

She couldn't be more than 17. She's a cute girl with straight, long, dark hair. I really know nothing about her, other than she's from Central America and was just picked up with her 19 year old brother.

Why did she come? Where are her parents? What happened to her while she traveled here? How long did she go without food and water? Does she know she's safe now? I know I can't ask her any of these questions right now, so I just smile at her. I can assume there is one question her mind is focused on. "Where is my brother?"

My heart breaks as I imagine and assume the hardships this young women has faced. Clearly, a desperateness must have driven her and her brother to make the long and dangerous journey here. Maybe they were trying to find their parents. Maybe they were escaping gangs or poverty. Perhaps they were hoping for the American Dream. No matter what the reason, the reality is that she is here now. She is alone, scared, most definitely hurting and vulnerable. The question for us is how will we respond to her?

Matthew 25:40

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

The Justice Conference

I am so inexplicably excited for this weekend.

Feb 24th-25th.

Don't miss it!

http://thejusticeconference.com/

The Good Mexican

I have been thinking about a Bible story found in Luke 10, you may have heard of it.

The Good Samaritan.

I have always looked at this story from the perspective of the injured traveler. Why? Because he is who most closely represents me. I am a white, American Christian. I am of the "dominant" ethnicity, culture and religion. I do not see my self as a religious hypocrite (hopefully others don't either) and I don't really relate to the Samaritan either. I have never been looked down upon by society. I have never been treated like a second class citizen and I don't know what it feels like for an entire people to consider themselves superior to me. So I guess I am the wounded traveler.

As I reflect on this story I have to ask how it relates to our society today. I can't help but draw similarities between how Samaritans were viewed by the Jewish people and how our society views Immigrants.

I feel like I just had an epiphany.

I need Immigrants to teach me how to be a neighbor, just like the expert in the law from Luke 10 needed a Samaritan to teach him how to be a neighbor. What a concept.

We NEED those who our society calls week, sinful, valueless to teach us about holiness.

As I think about my own story and how I have come to so deeply carry the burden of the undocumented I know it was not by accident and it surely was not of my own accord. I care because people in my neighborhood took the time to share their stories with me. They took care of me, fed me, loved me, and allowed me to enter into their lives. They welcomed me. They were vulnerable with me. They allowed me to be vulnerable. And now, I am a better person because of it. I have something I don't think very many people ever experience:

I have a calling.

With that calling comes freedom, hope, peace, and joy.

I have never felt more like myself, the person I was intended to be, then I do now. I have never felt more connected to God and His purpose for my life. The words of Mordecai to Esther are ever present in my mind, "Perhaps I was created for such a time as this." Perhaps I was created to stand up for the poor and carry the burden of the Immigrant. Perhaps I was created to be apart of a larger Christ movement of engaging people who look like me in a fight they might not be connected to otherwise.

And what if more people like me were able to enter into meaningful relationships with the "Samaritans" among us? What if more White, conservative Christians, broke bread with the Central American who cuts their grass? If God can use a few Immigrant families to DRASTICALLY change the course of my life, the possibilities are endless. Relationship is key, folks. We have to step out, on both sides. We need the Immigrant church to reach out, love the non-Immigrant church and teach us how to be a neighbor, even if we don't deserve it. And the non-Immigrant church, we need to be willing to learn. We need to see ourselves and others, even if they look different than us, as God sees us all: equally broken and equally loved.

It's changed my life...

And all because a Mexican treated me like a neighbor.

My Letter to the Executive Director of Morgan County's CCC

I recently stumbled upon an article from a town in Alabama and it was extremely troubling to me. The jist? A para-church organization decided to start enforcing a rule they have apparently had for a long time in regards to the people they will serve at their local clothing and food bank: if you do not have a legitimate social security number, you are not welcome. You can read the whole article here. Of course, this did not sit well with me so I thought I would send a letter to the Executive Director of the Committee on Church Cooperation in Morgan County, Alabama. I thought I would share it here as well.

Dear Gayle Monk,

My name is Bethany Anderson and I live in Fullerton, CA. I know this is very far away from Morgan County, Alabama, but I felt deep in my soul that I should reach out to you and the organization you oversee. We are connected even though we have never met. We both claim to follow the same God. You see, I had to write you because we are supposed to be sisters in Christ, but I am afraid your Christ is very different then the one I have come to intimately know and love. The Christ I know loves and accepts everyone. He stands up for the oppressed. Although He is greatly concerned for all of humanity, He makes it very clear that He has a deep concern for the poor, hungry, sick, prisoner, and stranger. In fact, He says that those that do not show this same love and concern for those that fit any of the descriptions listed will find it extremely difficult to enter the Kingdom of God.

I am afraid you might have missed that part of Jesus' Good News. I am also afraid that your enforcement of a rule that excludes undocumented immigrants from the services you provide will taint the true Good News for others as well. I fear that those who are undocumented in your community have not experienced the transformational love of God and instead, have experienced a god that tells them they are not good enough to receive his love. I am afraid that those who call Christians hypocrites might be proven right. I am concerned that you, your staff, board and volunteers are missing the purest sense of joy, peace and purpose that the Lord blesses us with when we fully participate with Him in His Kingdom. I don’t mean to be rude, but I know for a fact that by consciously choosing to NOT serve and, more importantly, NOT to be in relationship with those who are undocumented, you are missing out on fully being who God intended you to be. I am reminded of the many scriptures in the New Testament where Jesus continuously challenges the Pharisees legalistic mindset. He exemplifies being a Godly rebel by touching those He was not supposed to touch, talking to those He was not supposed to talk to, and healing those He had no business healing, especially on the Sabbath. If we are to truly be like the One who came before us, then what does this rebellion look like in our society? I can’t help but think of the undocumented community as one of the most marginalized, isolated, and hated of our society. When Jesus was here in the flesh, He spent a lot of His time with those who were also marginalized, isolated, and hated. He did this, I believe, mostly because He loved them dearly and partly to show us who we should spend our time with.

I think the work you do is commendable. Feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, and loving the hurting are at the heart of Christian ministry. However, I am very thankful God does not have comparable qualifications for receiving His services as you do for those in your community. Thank God He loves us no matter where we were born. Thank God He died for all of us. Thank God He invites all of us to eat at His table and drink His living water. Thank God we don’t have to show a social security card, proving our worthiness, at the gates of heaven. I know I surely do not deserve the grace given to me, and although I do not know you, I am sure you are grateful for this as well.

If I may, I would like to offer a challenge to you. Would you give one day of your life and spend it with an immigrant, preferably one without papers? I know there are many in your community and if you have trouble finding one who is willing to spend the day with you; maybe you can talk to a local pastor to point you in the right direction. If all else fails, you are more than welcome to visit me in California. We have an extra bed and my husband and I would love to introduce you to our foster son from Honduras who was trafficked here and now is undocumented, or our good friend who was brought here as a young child, is in college, and works with the teens in our neighborhood, or our neighbor who came here with her 2 young children because they were literally starving in Mexico. In any respect, I encourage you to hear the story of an Immigrant. Ask what life was like in their home country. Ask why they decided to come here (if they even had a choice in the matter) and what the journey was like. Ask them what life has been like for them here and what their dreams are for the future. After your day with them, prayerfully consider what you would do if you were in their situation and how God might be calling you to engage.

I fully know how confusing and difficult the issue of Immigration is. I know the laws don’t make sense and that people on both sides of the discussion are passionate. I also know that we, as the Church, have a choice to make. We can choose to be on the side of complacency or even hate or we can stand on the side of understanding, grace, and love. We can be like the Pharisees: too clean to touch the unclean, or we can be like Jesus: the perfect expression of God’s upside down love.

Gayle, you are in my prayers and if you would ever like to converse further on the things I have written, I would be honored. My contact information is included. Blessings to you.

Sincerely,

Bethany Anderson

My DREAM for Change part 2

My life has most fully been lived on a little street in Fullerton, Ca.

This neighborhood means so much to me. It's where I fell in love with my husband. It's where I discovered who I truly am. It's where I have experienced Jesus in the deepest way. It's where I learned to dream BIG dreams for those I love, even if they are not able to dream them for themselves.

My neighborhood is far from "beautiful". There is trash everywhere, gangsters hanging out on the corner, worn down apartments, and I have broken up a fight or two. But it's not this physical place, full of imperfections, that has so deeply impacted me. It's the perfect God I have experienced through my neighbors that is what brings me to a deep place of reflection.

In the countless meals I have shared, walks to Target I have taken, and conversations had at the food trucks, I have come to realize how connected I am to my neighbors. We are not all that different. We all want to be safe, provide for and protect our families. We all want to be valued.

We all want to dream.

As similar and connected as we are. There is a stark difference between me and my neighbors: I have been given the right to dream. In fact, I have almost been forced to dream. I grew up with the idea that I could do anything. I was free and even entitled to follow my dreams, whatever they may be.

My neighbors? Sure they can dream, in theory. They can imagine being doctors, engineers, teachers, artists, musicians, lawyers, politicians...but the reality of their circumstances often crushes those thoughts before they even fully play out in their heads.

When I first moved into my neighborhood I was an idealistic 19 year old. I thought with a little love and imagination this neighborhood could transform. What I have come to realize over the last 7 years is that love and imagination will only take you so far. I pray everyday not to lose my idealism, but I have accepted the reality that transformation takes time. It takes work and it is often times very difficult. When it comes to the reality of my neighborhood, there is just so much we have to overcome. We have systemic poverty, slum lords, a broken education system, and too many kids who don't know how to dream. We have generations of people who can't see past the corner of Garnet and Placentia and the second they do they are quickly reminded that for them, there is no point. Over the years I have also come to realized how deeply connected these issues are with the fact that so many of my neighbors are undocumented. When you don't belong, you have no rights, and you are treated like a second class citizen, what's the point of dreaming? I fear our lack of just Immigration policy is robbing our neighbors of their God given right to dream.

I think, as the Church, we need to acknowledge this as a viable possibility.

We also need to begin repairing the damage we have caused by allowing our big corporations to cause systemic poverty in our neighboring countries, taking advantage of cheap labor, creating a demand for drugs, weapons and prostitution, and allowing years of outdated and unjust laws go unchanged. Too many people want to criminalize the acts of those who came here unlawfully, but I think we need to take responsibility for our role in this mess.

We were so busy asserting our American right to dream for power and prosperity that we forgot about the dreams of our neighbors.

I know that changing our immigration laws will not instantly make everything better. There will always be poverty, corruption and injustice. But for my neighborhood, and countless other Immigrant communities across the nation, we will not see our dreams of transformation fully come to fruition without it. What Comprehensive Immigration Reform would do is restore my neighbor's ability to dream...something we had no business destroying in the first place.

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.