Immigration: An Open Letter to Governor Brewer of Arizona

An Open-Letter to Governor Brewer of Arizona

Esteemed Governor Brewer:

My wife and I are both Evangelical pastors who have an unrelenting commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our parents are ministers and from an early age we were taught that a fundamental tenant of the Gospel is to love your neighbor and be hospitable to the stranger. It is with this commitment in mind that I write to you asking you to veto SB 1070.

The bill not only navigates dangerously close to an enforcement policy which lends itself to the very dangerous and undemocratic practice of racial profiling. In this country we have not required or insisted on people carrying documentation to prove their citizenship. If this law passes I run the danger of being arrested or detained for DRIVING WHILE BROWN in Arizona. This is not in keeping with the highest and most noble of U.S. ideals. If this law were enacted my 90 year old grandfather who is a World War II veteran could be detained without cause. Worse still, clergy and all people of good will who are called to serve all people regardless of race, gender, or birth origin would be exposed to being arrested and detained for following their call as servants of God. As Christians we cannot refuse to serve and love the immigrant, legal or not, The Gospel requires more of us.

What seems to me most troubling about SB 1070 is that it threatens to divide children from their parents and underline enforcement without providing any real common-sense and workable solutions to immigration challenges. Governor, by vetoing SB 1070 you have the opportunity to show real courage and leadership in a way that history will judge with honorable distinction.

Enforcement without Comprehensive immigration reform is not the way forward. Comprehensive immigration reform is the way forward in ways that Arizona and the rest of the country win. Some time ago I blogged on the Washington Post about why comprehensive immigration reform is what is best for this country. I send you some of my thoughts from that blog here praying that it will influence you to do the wise and humane thing and veto SB 1070. Perhaps your veto will once again spark the conscience of this country to remember that the truest test of America’s character is how it treats the stranger, widow, and orphan.

• The economic question: They are a burden on our tax and economic system; Why don't they go home? Studies show that the close to 12 million undocumented immigrants, many of whom already pay taxes and Social Security, want to continue to contribute to the system. Comprehensive immigration reform should require these immigrants to pay back taxes, learn English, and wait in line behind the people who entered legally. The system as is does not allow for this integration nor does it address unscrupulous employers who exploit cheap labor. A new system that requires these immigrants to integrate and employers and employees to pay taxes will add hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy. The status quo does not in any way address this challenge; reform does. Reform can help the economy. The U.S. can and should have the creative genius to make this a win-win for all.

• The moral question: How do we balance respect for the rule of law and compassion for all people? This is a fair question. I think we should respect the law and that's why any reform should include requiring: Paying back-taxes, penalties to employers who may have circumvented the system, and borders being controlled and supervised in humane ways. Nevertheless, what do we do with the 12 million men, women, and children that are already here? Deportation is not reasonable and it remains beyond our economic capacities. In short, reform must include both respect for the rule of law and a way that integrates all people in common sense ways. Enforcement only is both a drain on our local law enforcement and economy and does not in any competent way address the issue of the millions of people here. THE LAW IS BROKEN LET’S FIX IT.

• The faith question: What does the Church or my faith have to do with it? Simply stated, as a Christian I am mandated to love my neighbor as myself without prejudice to origin, color, or creed. Jesus himself reminds Christians to "welcome the stranger" in Matthew 25. In addition, the Torah of the Hebrew Scriptures reminds us continually to be kind and merciful to the stranger, widow, and orphan. In the end a nation is judged by how it treats the most vulnerable among them. My faith compels me to speak for and with the immigrants and their families. Love thy neighbor does not have a border limitation.

Immigration reform is a moral issue that requires us to live up to the highest of our values. If Christ welcomed me unconditionally should I do any less with others?

Sincerely,

Rev. Gabriel Salguero

On Devotion and Activism: Part I

I am currently reading Longing for God: Seven Paths to Christian Devotion. I am also reading Jeff Sharlet's The Family: The Secret Fundamnentalism At the Heart of American Power. What you may ask do these have to do with each other? Simple, for me the present two sides of a search many Christians are having, namely, How do I have a devotional life while trying to change the world in a way that is not co-opted by power and influence? Sharlet's book is a searing critique of how some groups confuse devotion to Jesus with uncritical access to power. This critique has its place, particularly in light of abuses that have occurred throughout history when mixing faith with imperial ambitions.

Let me be clear, I am not a fundamentalist. Still I hold that our discipleship and devotion should inform, form, and guide our participation in the public sphere. Still there remain severalchallenges to this symbiotic relationship. This is not an exhaustive list nor is the list in any specific order of importance:

Challenge #1: Doing one without the other: The problem is that the temptation always exist to lose oneself in activism without returning to that fountain that forms and informs all of our lives. In short, devotion and activism are part of an itiretative circle that impact each other in synergistic ways. My devotion informs my activism and my activism informs my devotion. The inverse is also true. They could be seen as part of one another. It is a false dichotomy to try to separate the seeking after God with the seeking of the common good for the neighbor. Defining devotion as some individualistic exercise that does not have social and ethical implications is toomisunderstand the comprehensiveness of the devotional life. For devotion without ethics is a Christianity that ignores the incarnation and the meaning of mission.

Challenge #2: Access and notoriety are powerful aphrodisiacs. Confusing our selfish ambition and pride as doing the Lord's work. This is something I continually challenge in myself. Often our activism gives us access and notoriety in ways that have us confuse what we do with who we are. We are called to serve, lead, act, and advocate for the sake of the reign and shalom of God. While recognition has its place we should never confuse our devotion and work with celebrity and fame.

Challenge #3: Legalism . Often our devotion and activism can lead us to a "righteous indignation." We should have righteous indignation at injustice, oppression, hatred, and so many other evils. Still when we move from righteous indignation to self-righteousness and "holier-than-thou" attitudes we do not honor God, who is the grounding of all we do. Biblical Justice saints are not exempt from a sense of moral superiority that instead of inviting others to this noble cause of God's Shalom it alienates. I'm quite sure that I have often lost this balance.

Challenge #4: Exhaustion. All doing without being leads to exhaustion. Allowing time to rest, for Sabbath, and for a transparency before God and the other can be liberating. Exhaustion comes when we think we are the "only ones." The Messianic Complex is the preamble to collapse. God rested so should we. More can be said, but I must rest.


To be continued....

Christians in the Public Sphere: A Call for Civility

For much too long the image of Christians in the U.S public sphere has been one of screaming heads with no capacity to listen. This has been true of every side of the political spectrum. My blogging on this issue stems from a concern that some of Christian discourse in the public sphere has descended into the demonizing and divisive discourse that was part of the culture wars in the 1980s and 1990s. It is time to turn the page!!!! Liberals, conservatives, moderates, progressives, and all others must choose a better way forward.

My hope is that Christians' would be committed to civil discourse that honors our discipleship of Jesus and to speak the truth in love. Perhaps, a better word would be "Prophetic Christianity." Prophetic Christianity is a way of being prophetic without being viciously destructive. One mark of true Propethic Christianity is an incredible capacity to be pastoral and empathetic without compromising conviction. We must earn the right to be prophetic. Christian prophets must embody paradox and dialectics. The paradox of empathy and compassion with zeal and passion. Empathy and compassion for those who most need it must be coupled with a righteous indignation against injustice, oppression, and abuse. Most Hebrew prophets reflected a love for the people even when they denounced their sin and injustice.

This paradox is not easy to balance; most modern-day prophets are all zeal and no compassion. A call to civility is not an excuse to ignore and obviate injustice but rather a call to denounce injustice and provide just alternatives. Genuine prophets do not dehumanize or demonize someone just because they disagree with them. In the words of M.L King Jr., "we should meet others capacity for inhumanity with our humanity." Admittedly, this is not easy. Still, we do things because they are right not because they are easy.

So my prayer is for respectful disagreement in the public sphere as we all seek the common good. My prayer is that righteousness will roll down like an ever-flowing stream. My prayer is that we would be civil while we seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before God.

Presidents Addressing Students

In recent days much has been made of President Obama's speech to address students across the country. Regrettably, in the words of Shakespeare "this is much ado about...." Most citizens forget that both Presidents Reagan and Bush addressed students. In 2002, President Bush addressed students in a similar pep talk about volunteering and responsibility. Sadly, he too was critiqued from the left. Somethings need not be ruined or capitalized on for political points on any side of the political debate. As a registered independent, Evangelical pastor, formal school teacher, and someone who believes in education I am saddened by the politicking that goes on by both the left and the right on this issue.

Of course, President's should speak to students on the importance of education and doing well in school. When Presidents are encouraging students to do well I am all for it. These are not policy speeches these are speeches by the democratically-elected leader of the country. Having read both the Department of Education's notes on President Obama's speech (http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html) and excerpts from President Reagan's and Bush's speech I say "Shame on anyone who is making this out to be something it is not." If these were policy speeches to impressionable youth I would decry them. Being that these are presidential pep talks our children hearing from their president (be they Republican or Democrat) to work hard and succeed is a good practice. Those who decried Bush's speech are just as responsible as those doing the same on the other side to Obama.

Here are two suggestions to begin with:
1) Start with the facts: It is sad state of affairs for people to state uninformed opinions and comments while ignoring the facts. This is not the first time a President has done this and this is not a policy speech. Please read and inform yourself before commenting and opining. There is nothing more dangerous than uninformed opinions and rhetoric that does not do the hard work of looking up all the facts.

2) Commitment to not demonizing people when we disagree: As a Christian I say, "Enough is Enough" of demonizing rhetoric. Let's return to civil disagreement and stay away from hyperbole, falsities, and divisive talk that does not seek healthy solutions and the common good for all. Let's disagree respectfully even if with passion.

The New Evangelicalism: The Coming Mosaic

I've been reading Soong-Chan Rah's book, The New Evangelicalism, and I am struck by the insight of Dr. Rah concerning power and Western hegemony within U.S. Evangelicalism. In light of this I continue to advocate for a "New Mosaic" of Christianity that is inclusive and respective of the great diversity of Christians around the globe. What does this mean? It means taking the vision of Isaiah 11, the Peaceable Realm, seriously. I am praying that we can get the Lion and the Lamb to live together in the way that shows an equitable distribution of power and agency. If we are to be the Global Church Revelation 7:9 can not just be an eschatological vision but rather a missional imperative. This missional imperative reflects our willingness to see the "other" as our equal, as our sister and brother.
The New Evangelicalism says in the words of C. René Padilla, there is no citizenship test to belong to the Church. The Church is the great multitude of saints, independent of their language, race, or geography. May we press on to be the church, the whole church, for the sake of Christ and humanity. Every denomination, movement, and institution must continously wrestle with this mosaic in ways that challenges tribalism, and the privilege of the few.

Diplomacy: Re-visiting the Huntington Thesis

Much has been said about President Obama's speech to the Muslim world from Cairo, Egypt. As I heard it I reflected on the Obama administration's diplomacy meant in light of Samuel Huntington's book The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Clearly, one speech does not guarantee anything. Nevertheless, it may set the tone for a U.S. diplomacy that understands the consequences of Huntington's assertion that the world is on a collision course with the rise of fundamentalisms in different religions and civilizations.

The questions then become, "What is the role of diplomacy with the real threats of nuclear proliferation and oppressive dictators and governments?" Diplomacy, at its best, is not the abdication of standing for human dignity, freedom, and love of neighbor. Nor is it the refusal to speak with people or groups with whom you have fundamental disagreement. At the heart of diplomacy is the refusal to give in to the idea that differing cultures are always doomed to collide. This being said, there must be a place for standing against all those things that threaten human life and dignity anywhere in the world. This is where the Huntington thesis can be well served with the dialectal theological reflections of Reinhold Niebuhr. Niebuhr understood well that in a world where human power can manifest itself with world-destroying power, power must be reigned in. Diplomacy is not the abdication of power but the reigning in of power. Diplomacy does not mean that evil will not be confronted. Rather, diplomacy seeks to call on all means of communication and pressure before resulting to military power.

Does this mean that diplomacy will work with dictators, despots, and crazed rulers all over the world? Absolutely not. Even with the presence of another way, nations and rulers can choose the way of hatred, violence, and war. The history of humankind has shown that evil lurks and manifest itself in every generation. Still, the hope is that every generation would learn and pray so that in our day we can "beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks." Until this day comes we must preach and teach a Gospel that calls us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before our God.

I pray that the message of Jesus of loving our enemies and doing justice will make Dr. Huntington's thesis an unfulfilled reality.

Pastor Salguero

Hispanic Evangelicals Rising

Recently, I wrote a reflection on 3 reasons why Hispanic Evangelicals are making an impact on public policy. The 3 reasons; a) Demographic explosion; b) Immigration Reform as a watershed moment; c) the emergence of bi-lingual and bi-cultural 2nd and 3rd generation leaders. Read the rest here; http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/gabriel_salguero/2009/04/hispanic_evangelical_rising.html