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Through my encounters with people from different cultures, I began to perceive the world in new ways. New languages made me more aware of the words I use and the power that they hold. I became aware of the discrimination behind the use of the word “illegal.” I realized that words can have an emotional impact.
Through experiences of living in different countries, I learned that we are better both individually and as communities when we can celebrate our diversity and learn from each other’s diversity. In order to do that, we need to recognize each other not only as fully human, but also as beloved children of God.
Issues related to immigration are often not clear or easy to discern, yet in Christ we trust that God’s love and grace for every one of us is the measuring stick. By that love and grace we are freed to proclaim God’s love for everyone and to help ensure that every beloved child of God can live their life – not merely surviving or scraping by but living with human dignity.
This message is excerpted from “Welcome the stranger, welcome Christ” by Emily Ewing in the October 2013 Café online magazine. Today is the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. Today we commemorate Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, c. 202.