Hospitality

Although simply a stopgap measure, President Obama took executive action to allow young undocumented people under age 30 who came to the US before age 16, have lived here at least five years, are in school, have graduated HS, or are military veterans in good standing, and have no criminal records to no longer face deportation.  They can work legally, attend college, and obtain necessary documents, like a driver's license, that they may need.  The US will benefit from this workforce, its labor and ideas.

Alone in the condo when I heard about this change, Zoe was the only one to hear my cheers.  A new outlook on immigration has long been needed.  We have forgotten those words at the bottom of the Statue of Liberty, forgotten that most of us came from families who were once immigrants.  And, we have forgotten our charge to be hospitable to strangers.

If you go to the Sojourners website at sojo.net, you can sign the Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform that will be sent to political leaders.  Below is the information I received from Sojourners: 

Washington politicians refuse to fix America’s broken immigration system. Instead, they use extreme rhetoric, demonizing people created in God’s image, and purposefully distort the positions held by their political opponents. This failure to lead has created a moral, economic, and political crisis that breaks up families and harms children. 

Now, leaders from across the evangelical community are speaking out. Drawing inspiration from scripture, these leaders are trying to change the debate about immigration and encourage elected officials to find practical, bipartisan solutions that reflect the biblical commitments to hospitality and concern for the least among us. Specifically, immigration reform is needed that:
- Respects the God-given dignity of every person
- Protects the unity of the immediate family
- Respects the rule of law
- Guarantees secure national borders 
- Ensures fairness to taxpayers
- Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents

Your voice is needed so legislators will know where the faith community stands on immigration.
Sign the Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform and send a clear message to our political leaders: People of faith agree that we need both parties to work together and pass bipartisan immigration reform.

Now, let's celebrate this change, as we pray for more.