Friday, April 30, 2010

Jon Stewart on Arizona Immigration Law

With his usual over the top style, Jon Stewart of the Daily Show has offered one of the most poignant commentaries on the Arizona immigration law... working my way through biblical texts these days, I have the feeling his commentary may be closer to the style of the original writers of the Bible than the measured statements we are limited to offer as religious and/or political leaders...

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Law & Border
www.thedailyshow.com
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The Usual Suspects?


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Monday, April 26, 2010

Growing Split in Arizona Over Immigration

Addressing the recent anti-immigrant law passed by the Arizona legislature and signed by the Arizona governor, an article in today's (4/26/2010) New York Times names the role of fear in the immigration debate. The church's call is to preach good news--Good News that are repeatedly introduced by "Do not fear" ( "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10). We must do as we are called, and preach good news into this fear driven conversation...

Quotes from this article follow, and you can see (and participate in ) a fuller discussion of the legislation on the Forum section of faithonthemove.ning.com at http://faithonthemove.ning.com/forum/topics/arizona-antiimmigration-law?xg_source=activity

"Immigration has always polarized residents of Arizona, a major gateway for illegal immigrants. But the new law signed by Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday has widened the chasm in a way few here can remember."

"I also don’t feel it is racial profiling. You are going to look different if you are an alien, and cops know.” --Mr. White

She prays every morning as she steps out the door, “because we go out and we do not know if we are coming back.”--Ms. Miñon

Read the full article here.

Also, I just signed a petition asking President Obama and Congress to pass immigration reform so we won't see the racial profiling law in Arizona spread across America. Click here to join me!

http://act.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/cms/sign/not_in_our_amer...

Thanks!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Happy Easter/Felices Pascuas


Blessings to all this Easter season. May God's dream of justice and peace, which we celebrate this season, fill your homes, communities, and our world. We've put together a short "video greeting" in hopes of sharing the powerful experiences of Holy Week in Jerusalem. This year the Easter celebrations of both Eastern and Western Christian traditions coincided on the same week, together also with the Jewish celebration of Passover. You may watch the video above or see it on YouTube at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpPTdbhvAO8

Saludos de Jerusalen en esta temporada de resurrección, cuando celebramos la promesa de justicia y paz que Dios trae a nuestras vidas, hogares, comunidades, y el mundo entero. Hemos puesto un video corto con la esperanza de compartir un poco de la experiencia inolvidable que hemos tenido esta Semana Santa aca en Jesuralen. Pueden verlo aca o en YouTube en el enlace siguiente:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpPTdbhvAO8

Peace/Paz,

David, Karla, Dawit, and Meheret

Something there is that doesn't love a wall


In this simple statement form his poem Mending Wall, modern American poet Robert Frost voices the deep concern with how human fear leads to building walls that separate us from others. "Before I built a wall I'd ask to know," goes on Frost, "What I was walling in or walling out, And to whom I was like to give offence."

While the Great Wall of China has been reduced to a tourist attraction and the Berlin Wall stand as symbol of the progress of freedom, reality is that nations around the world are building walls at an unprecedented pace--from the U.S. Mexico border, to Israel/Palestine, and in an article in today's New York Times, to a small village in Eastern Europe (Walls, Real and Imagined, Surround the Roma)

By contrast, Ephesians 2:14 portrays Jesus ministry as one of physically breaking down dividing walls: "For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us."

Share your thoughts about, as Frost says, "what I was walling in or walling out" at Faith on the Move Forum.