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This post is part of a Synchroblog on Immigration Reform.  You can find a list of participants at the end of the post.

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When do you say no to those seeking help?

In the last Synchroblog I participated in, I explored what it meant to let go of power.  As a follower of the Way of Jesus I can’t help but see love as the defining act of my own humanity.  So when it comes to immigration reform I choose to begin with love as the defining act.  What would it mean to love those seeking help?

The primary concern with immigration reform seems to be those from poorer countries seeking to participate in a way of life that exists in America.  And in order to protect that way of life, we’re seeking to keep those same people out.  It’s a strange situation to say the least. And much like “Letting Go of Power” I have to begin with the reality that I am the one in power.  I am the one who enjoys the blessing of a country that has so much.

But I just finished listening to a story of a friend wrestling with the command to give a second coat to the one in need. And I am reminded of the command to remember the alien. I’m not a legalist in the sense that I believe this is a strict command that gains us favor.  As with any command Jesus gives, I believe there is something deeper in the command to live out and discover as a way of life.  To give is to receive.  So by stepping into the command with our hearts we discover a deeper way of living that has a reward all of its own.

I also believe that there is something to be found in the moments someone actually asks for help.  These are the divine moments when a request is staring us in the face.  And it is our opportunity to step into it in order to discover the deeper meaning.

When I look into the face of someone who lives across a nationalist border, I am learning to see what God sees.  I am learning to see my brother and sister, not some alien.  And in that I am learning to see a larger world that is inclusive of the other, not exclusive.  And that is the reform I am really looking for.

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Mike Victorino at Still A Night Owl – Being the Flag

Liz Dyer at Grace Rules – Together We Can Make Dreams Come True

Sonnie Swentson-Forbes at Hey Sonnie – Immigration Stories

Matt Stone at Glocal Christianity – Is Xenophobia Ever Christlike?

Kathy Escobar at the carnival in my head – it’s a lot easier to be against immigration when you have papers

Steve Hayes at Khanya – Christians and the Immigration Issue

Ellen Haroutunian - Give Me Your Tired

Bethany Stedman – Choosing Love Instead of Fear

Pete Houston at Peter’s Progress – Of Rape and Refuge and  Eyes Wide Shut

Joshua Seek – Loving Our Immigrant Brother

Amanda MacInnis at Cheese Wearing Theology – Christians and Immigration

Sonja Andrews at Calacirian – You’re Absolutely Right

Peter Walker – Synchroblog – Immigration Reform

Steven Calascione at Eirenikos – The Jealousy of Migration

George Elerick at The Love Revolution – We’re Not Kings or Gods

Beth Patterson at Virtual Tea House – What we resist not only persists but will eventually become our landlord

K. W. Leslie at The Evening of Kent - On American Immigration

Jeff Goins at Pilgrimage Of The Heart – When The Immigration Issue Gets Personal

Kathy Baldock at CanyonWalker Connections – My Visit To A Mosque, Now What?

Christine Sine – Immigration Reform – Yes, No, Don’t Care