I’m in New York City today, home to at least 19 Mennonite and BIC congregations and one of the two places where MCC has partnered with congregations in the East Coast region to meet the needs for low cost legal services among recent immigrant populations. This work grows out of MCC’s commitment to welcome the stranger in our midst and to love them as ourselves (Lev. 19: 33-34).

If you’ve been reading the news, you know that immigration has become “the issue” in the Republican Party nomination contest. (See NY Times article.) While there have been one or two bright spots of Christian theology breaking through (Gov. Mike Huckabee’s statement regarding providing certain education opportunities to the children of undocumented immigrants – “We’re a better country than to punish children for what their parents did.”) the discussion has turned increasingly punitive as candidates compete to be seen as toughest on “illegal aliens.”

You’ll note that two phrases are there in that last paragraph – “undocumented immigrants” and “illegal aliens.” Legally it means the same thing, but how the discussion is framed is incredibly important. As George Lakoff and Sam Ferguson write in this article:

“Illegal,” used as an adjective in “illegal immigrants” and “illegal aliens,” or simply as a noun in “illegals” defines the immigrants as criminals, as if they were inherently bad people. In conservative doctrine, those who break laws must be punished — or all law and order will break down. Failure to punish is immoral.

“Illegal alien” not only stresses criminality, but stresses otherness. As we are a nation of immigrants, we can at least empathize with immigrants, illegal or not. “Aliens,” in popular culture suggests nonhuman beings invading from outer space — completely foreign, not one of us, intent on taking over our land and our way of life by gradually insinuating themselves among us. Along these lines, the word “invasion” is used by the Minutemen and right-wing bloggers to discuss the wave of people crossing the border. Right-wing language experts intent on keep them out suggest using the world “aliens” whenever possible.

So how do we provide a Christian witness, one based on the very basic belief that “God is love?” (1 John 3: 16b-18 continues whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in [them]. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. . . the one who fears is not made perfect in love.”)

Sandra Perez, a MCC local service worker and sole staff person for the New York Mennonite Immigration Program, witnesses by helping people who have a way of legally adjusting their status to navigate the legal system. She also witnesses by listening to the struggles of people who come for good information – an apartment broken into and rent money stolen, a less honest immigration office who wants to charge the person $150 just to get their documents back from the office. She may not be able to solve any of these problems, but at least by listening, she helps break down the walls of fear and hopelessness that many recent immigrants, documented and undocumented, see being built higher every day by the rhetoric of the political sphere.

Many of you reading this blog don’t live in New York City. But we all live in the same country. How can you be witnessing to our belief as Christians that “God is love?” Who can you listen to deeply? With whom can you share an alternative language or “framing” of the immigration realities that exist everywhere in our country – New York City and Iowa, Texas and Pennsylvania?

P.S. If you are interested in making a donation to the work of the NY Mennonite Immigration Program, please write to NYMIP, 169 Knickerbocker Av., Brooklyn, NY 11237.

It's generally accepted that where and when we grow up has an impact on how we view the world. Part of learning about the world, then, requires that we either put ourselves in new situations or that we listen deeply to people who speak out of a different context.

One of MCC's efforts in this regard is the recent Immigration Listening Project. Immigration has become a hot news item and a polarizing discussion in U.S. society as well as in Anabaptist circles. In order to encourage different parts of the church to listen to each other's experiences, MCC conducted 36 listenings over the course of a year, across the U.S.

Each group was asked the same nine questions. Some listenings took place in recent immigrant congregations (meaning the members have mostly immigrated to the U.S. in the preceeding generation). Others took place in long-time immigrant congregations (meaning the members ancestors immigrated more than a generation ago). Some groups were mixed. Mennonites, Brethren in Christ and Amish participated in the listenings.

The report on these listenings is now available in pdf from here. Take a look and let me know what you think. Also, think about using the Listening Report as a focus for discussion with friends or folks from your church. If you're looking for ways to get involved in making our U.S. immigration system more just, check out these MCC resources, and these advocacy tools from MCC's Washington Office.

Last week, as quiet snow fell outside, I spoke at Wednesday morning chapel for Christopher Dock High School in Kulpsville, PA.  I shared with them about the reality of immigration in our country today – between 10-12 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States, many of them fearful of discovery.  I also shared that Christ, in teaching us how we are called to love our neighbor (Luke 10:25-29) often defines neighbor in a way that stands our usual definition on it’s head.  For Christ, loving our neighbor meant loving our enemy (Matthew 5:43-45) and loving the stranger in our midst (Leviticus 19:33-34). 

As disciples of Christ, and as citizens of the United States, recent events should be encouraging lively discussions among us on how we are called to love our neighbor, the recent immigrant.  In the past seven days, national news stories included:

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids last week that detained suspected undocumented parents at workplaces in Massachusetts and stranded their children at daycare facilities or with neighbors.  As is often the case, many of the children are U.S. Citizens, now facing the choice between separation from their parents and separation from the land of their birth.
• President Bush promising Mexican President Felipe Calderon that he would push for passage of immigration reform through Congress.  President Bush also noted that positive relations with Latin American neighbors hinge on immigration reform.  
• The start of a civil trial in Scranton, PA over whether the town of Hazleton, PA can enact it’s own laws to prevent undocumented immigrants from living or working in the town.  

As we witness each of these events unfold, we need to ask ourselves how God calls us to witness to the power of loving our neighbor as ourselves.  

One method of witness is to talk and pray about it in our congregations – a recently published MCC resource “Loving Strangers As Ourselves” provides biblical reflections and discussion questions to get such conversations started.  If getting a conversation started seems controversial, looking at the Safe Space Dialogue suggestions from the MCC Washington Office may give ideas of how to structure a “deepening dialogue” rather than a “divisive debate.”

Another method is to learn more about the connection of immigration to globalization.  There are also numerous resources available through the MCC US immigration desk.

Some may feel called to raise their voice or act for just immigration reform at a national and local level.  The most recent immigration action alert from the MCC Washington Office notes that reform should

1) allow immigrants to legally choose between temporary work and permanent residence in the U.S.,

2) ensure immigrants receive fair compensation and equal benefits and

3) enable immigrants to reunite with their families.

Likewise, at a local level, congregations can provide necessary support to families if raids occur in the area and can be a powerful voice in town council halls for welcoming rather than alienating the “stranger” among us [read the recent “welcoming” statement by the Lancaster, PA city council – scroll down two thirds of the document ]. 

Finally, for those of us who are long-term immigrants (our ancestors arrived several generations ago) it is important to remember, as Leviticus says, we were once strangers ourselves.

Like snow falling softly, years and generations passing can make it easy for us to forget this part of our history.  Understanding how our own ancestors arrival took place under much more open laws (until 1862 there was no federal regulation of immigration) and also how our arrival impacted those already here (particularly Native Americans) are important steps in discerning our call in this time and in this place to love the stranger among us.