 |
| Karen Gonzalez |
Fairly early in your book THE GOD WHO SEES, you offer a series of examples of how God “sees” (looks after) the foreigner. You mention Naomi, Ruth and Boaz; Hagar and Abraham; Joseph (Jacob’s son), the Syrophoenician Woman and Mary, Joseph and Jesus. In particular with the example of Boaz, you write that he practiced true hospitality, Philoxenia – love of strangers and foreigners. What should all these examples teach us about how God views those who are considered strangers and foreigners?
Many people in the US and other countries feel strongly that there should be priority for citizens and not foreigners, but God over and over again told the people that they must love immigrants as themselves and to remember that they had been immigrants in Egypt. Even the Sabbath was not just for the Israelites but also for immigrants who could not secure rights for themselves. God wants immigrants to be treated with the same dignity and granted all the same rights as those who are native citizens.
Writing about the difference between what Ruth experienced due to Boaz’s philoxenia, you state" “The immigration system in the United States stands in sharp contrast to what we see in the little book of Ruth. There we see a picture of the immigrant and the citizen working together side by side, for the flourishing of their communities. The concern isn’t just for their own security or economic interest. Nobody looks out for their own country or ethnic group. Nobody considers themselves superior and subjugates the powerless.” What do you think Jesus would say about the current state of the United States’ immigration policy?
I believe Jesus is heartbroken at the way immigrants and other vulnerable people are treated in our country and in other western nations. Jesus said in Matthew 25 that how we treat the stranger or immigrant is how we would receive him. Just as Jesus rebuked those who oppressed the poor and marginalized, I believe he would do the same to those who enact policies that especially harm immigrants and other marginalized groups.
Here’s an interesting thought from THE GOD WHO SEES: “As much as I believe in laws, I also wonder if we often value our human-made laws more than the human beings that they were designed to guide or protect.” You also make the point that “good laws are organic, not static.” How would a deeper understanding of this help inform our immigration debate and practices in the US?
In the New Testament, Jesus says that the Sabbath was made for humankind not humankind for the Sabbath. Similarly, laws are made to guide and protect humans; laws are made for humans but humans aren’t made for laws! Laws are not inerrant and often need amending. Yet when it comes to immigration, many of us treat immigration laws as if the only response is Romans 13: people who violate immigration laws have broken the law and there’s nothing that can be done except to follow the law and deport them. But there is! Unjust laws that harm the poor and vulnerable can and should be changed. The laws are not more important than human beings.
You recall your early experience as a Catholic, particularly Holy Communion, as a time when you had little understanding of your faith. You make an interesting point that: “I did not understand a single thing about the Eucharist, but I was too intimidated to ask questions. Those emotions – confusion, intimidation, bewilderment – became emblematic of my entire life of faith until I became an adult.” I’m wondering what helped you overcome this situation?
What most helped me overcome my confusion and intimidation of faith is reading and studying the Bible in community. We were never meant to figure out how to follow God on our own—it has always been a communal call. When I was a college student, I began to read the Bible in community and felt the freedom to ask questions and sit with doubts. Of course, I have not figured out everything, but I began the journey with those friends.
Writing of your own family’s immigrant experience (leaving Guatemala) you write: “…most immigrants never dream of leaving their countries. In fact, when we leave, we leave pieces of ourselves behind. We leave our homes, our comforts, our heart languages, our extended families, and our sense of self. We have to start all over again, almost like children, in a new country.” Can you offer any wisdom in terms of how we can be more helpful, more sensitive to this part of the immigrant experience?
I love this question! And I think the most helpful thing that people can do is just remember that sometimes immigrant stories are ones of adventure, contribution, and adaptation but sometimes they are also stories of loss and sorrow. It’s important to know immigrants and their stories to respond with sensitivity and kindness.
It seems to be a natural and unfortunate human response to look for someone to blame when globalization and other forces have dramatically changed the way our country functions and looks. In addition, those who are in an economically imperiled situation are also looking for a reason, a rationale for why this is so. It’s sad that often politicians and others use immigrants as a scapegoat. Historically, it has always been so—Irish, Italian, Eastern European, Chinese, and Jewish immigrants have all experienced the same throughout America’s history. And seeing immigrants as less than human allows people to harm and speak about them in terrible and unimaginable ways.
You quote Professor Richard Beck regarding showing hospitality in order to welcome Jesus. And you make a really interesting statement afterwards. “Many of us are familiar with spiritual disciplines that bring us close to God – disciplines like prayer, study, and meditation are critical to our growth. But while these move us closer to God, they often fail to move us closer to one another.” Would you elaborate on this?
Many spiritual disciples are vertical—we want to grow closer to Jesus and be more like him. That’s good and critical if we are his followers. But Jesus also talked a lot about loving our neighbors, especially our poor neighbors in need (widows, orphans, those with disabilities—in his time). I agree with Professor Beck that we have to practice spiritual disciplines that help us to see the image of God in our neighbors—these are more horizontal spiritual disciplines. Initiating a relationship with an immigrant out of love for God and a desire to obey God could be such a discipline. Just as we often don’t want to pray but do it anyway, as a discipline, we can draw near to our neighbors in mutuality and sincerity of heart to know them and love them as God calls us to do.
You write about how the Egyptians treated the Israelites and that when they initially welcomed them, they welcomed God. But when the Egyptians eventually rejected the Israelites, they rejected God, without realizing it. “Welcoming and embracing our immigrant neighbors is how we will transition back to philoxenia.” Can you expand on this idea?
While it seems counterintuitive, the only way to truly see and love our immigrant neighbors is to welcome them and embrace them. In an age of fear and the building of walls, this is a tremendous act of faith, but only in welcoming them will we see that they don’t just bring needs; they also bring gifts: hard work, faith, families who integrate into our country, talents, and love.
What encourages me is that we serve a God who sees—he saw Hagar and Ruth and Joseph in Egypt—people who were considered unimportant, disposable even. God’s Spirit rests with those who are outcasts, strangers, and immigrants. I’m supremely encouraged by knowing that our God does not abandon immigrants in their need. God sees them in their need just as God sees us in our rejection and mistreatment of immigrants.
In your own faith journey, you describe ultimately feeling like you belonged to a Christian community. And how that community became important to you. A few chapters after this, you mention that “in many Western countries today, fears of scarcity around jobs, services, and resources seem to be the default response to immigration.” To what extent does this prevalent scarcity mentality point to a lack of faith?
Just as it takes faith to give to the Church and back to God from our resources, it takes faith to welcome immigrants trusting in a God of abundance in whose economy there’s always enough. I believe it’s a lack of faith that rejects and fears that immigrants will take what’s rightfully ours. God doesn’t call us to trust in our countries or their economies but to trust in Jesus and his provision.
Towards the conclusion of THE GOD WHO SEES, you reach for a positive note, making the point that “It seems appropriate that a church born out of a God born to a humble Middle Eastern family in a conquered and subjugated land would find hope from mostly poor immigrants.” You say that the future of the church in North America is tied to the future of immigrants. Would you expand on this idea?
Research has shown that immigrants are more likely to be or become Christians. As such they present the greatest hope for renewal for an American church in decline. As I visit immigrant churches in Baltimore, I see that they are thriving—this is not the case with non-immigrant churches.
Of borders, in general, you make an interesting point that: “Borders actually increase criminal activity and place people in situations that make them vulnerable to exploitation and death.” How would like to see the current border dilemma solved?
I would love to see us return to a time when our borders were porous and not militarized—we had a secure border but one that took into account our labor needs as well as the well-being of our neighbors. This was the case for much of the 20th century and only changed when particular politicians became uncomfortable with that reality.
Perhaps your description of La Posada sin Fronteras points to a solution? Can you describe what this Latin American tradition is?
The Posada is a sung re-enactment of the story of Joseph and Mary looking for shelter on Christmas night. Posadas are an important Christmas tradition in many Latin American communities and feature prominently in holiday festivities. These community celebrations take place on each of the nine nights leading up to Christmas, from December 16 to 24th. The word posada means "inn" or "shelter" in Spanish, and in this tradition, the Bible story of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem and their search for a place to stay is re-enacted. For me the way the Posada Sin Fronteras provides a solution is that it points toward hope—even though Mary and Joseph are refused entry at every door they knock on. They are admitted to the very last one, the one that recognizes that it’s God himself to whom they are giving shelter. Those of us who are immigrants and advocate for immigrants pray for such recognition on the part of Americans—one that would lead toward welcome and embrace.
For more information on THE GOD WHO SEES.
For more informtion on World Relief.
No comments:
Post a Comment