"Christ's example is being
demeaned by the church if they ignore the new leprosy,
which is AIDS. The church is the sleeping giant here.
If it wakes up to what's really going on in the rest
of the world, it has a real role to play. If it doesn't,
it will be irrelevant."
- Bono
Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Tuesday, April 17, 2007 "America is not just a country; it's an idea. You have to defend the idea as well as the country, and that idea is being attacked."Bono
My brother, Mark, lives in southwest Texas. We were raised as Methodists in New Jersey when we were little - before the term United Methodists. He and his wife Nancy attend the United Methodist Church in their community. Mark remains one of the best people I know and I always think about him a lot this month - his birthday was a week ago. He's been in Texas since his college days. He has a great understanding of all the complex immigration issues and the ability to express himself in a clear manner. He feels less people would be sneaking over the Mexican border if Fair Trade practices were in place. People just want to be with their families, work hard and have a decent life. With our Free Trade practices, we make it impossible for the average family in Mexico, Central and South America to earn a living. If we put Fair Trade practices into place, the illegal immigration problem would not be such a huge issue. After all, this is not an issue on the northern border of the US - Canadians are not crashing through to come here!
I received the following letter addressed to the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church from a pastor. It was written by the NEC head - Bishop Peter Weaver.
April, 2007
Dear Sisters and Brothers of the New England Conference,
Grace and peace to you in the name and spirit of Christ.
The recent immigration raid in New Bedford, Massachusetts with the subsequent detention of hundreds of persons and the separation of scores of parents from their children reflects similar events in many other communities in New England and around the country. The national political debate on immigration has generated considerable heat, but little light. As many concerns and passions are aroused in our politically polarized time, it is important for the New England Conference community to be reminded of some teaching positions of our church which frame this important issue differently.
Several years ago, the Council of Bishops authored a document, To Love the Sojourner (http://gbgm-umc.org/mission/resolutions/3-biblic.html), which saw the experience of immigrants and refugees in the Biblical context as strangers without homes, uprooted people, whom God has called us to protect. There are dozens of images from the Old and New Testaments which support this view. The most familiar of these, perhaps, is the story of the love of God expressed to a sojourner through the compassion of a stranger: “But a certain Samaritan had compassion on him, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”(Luke 10:33-44).
As Bishops we are concerned about a climate of “misinformation, mistrust, and fear” which often accompanies the conversation about immigrants and immigration to the United States. “Many people in the US have let themselves be vulnerable to the hysteria that says they are no longer in control of their borders or their destiny.”
United Methodist Resolution #118 (in the 2004 Book of Resolutions) refers more specifically to undocumented or illegal immigrants. Through this resolution, the UMC is on record as reminding us that “being an undocumented person is NOT a crime.” Immigration law enforcement of the 1996 immigration law (Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Resolution Act) “results in immediate and insufferable human rights violations, discrimination, and oppression.” The United Methodist Church is on record as encouraging new legislation and policies which protect the rights of all persons, especially undocumented immigrants living within the United States (see also Social Principles, paragraph 162).
Faithful people will obviously have differing perspectives on one of more aspects of this complex issue. As persons of faith, however, I hope that we can approach our conversations with mutual respect and love for our neighbors - all our neighbors - affirming our common ground in God’s compassion and love through Christ Jesus.
May we together seek a prayerful and humble spirit, acknowledging the Biblical call to us as the community of God which gives “shelter, protection and help to sojourners living amongst us, reminding us that we, too, were foreigners in other times.” {To Love the Sojourner}
Grace and peace,
Peter D. Weaver
The many issues of global poverty are complex. I see the link between the issues of immigration, poverty several of the Millennium Development Goals. People desperate to seek a better way of life are drawn to the idea of America. Perhaps we need to remind our leaders that this idea is what we must defend. What would those original settlers have done if the Natives of this land had done to them what we are doing now?
173,045,325 People Stood Up & Took Action Against Poverty Worldwide
between Oct. 16 - 18, 2009!
They gathered at over 3,000 events in more than 120 countries.
116,993,629 People Stood Up & Took Action Against Poverty Worldwide
between Oct. 17 - 19, 2008!
That is almost 2% of the
total world population!
43,716,440 People Stood Up Against Poverty
Worldwide between Oct. 16 & 17, 2007! Were You One of Them?
23,542,614 People Stood Up Against Poverty
Worldwide on Oct. 15, 2006! Bless Them All!
"Be the Change You Want to See In the World." Gandhi
Upcoming Events
Send Me Your Events!!! October 17, 2009 NEIDEEP Interfaith Service & Conference
at Fairfield United Methodist Church, 10am to 2pm, including potluck lunch
Join people of all faiths
Discover the role of women in
ending local & global poverty
Location - FUMC, 33 Rt. 201, Fairfield, Maine
Just off I-95, Exit 133
This event is in conjunction with
Stand Up & is Free
The Rev. Dr. Paige Blair Episcopal Priest & Bonnie N. Davis
Buddhist
First NEIDEEP Conference
Our First Meeting took place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA on 2/21/06.
The day began with an Interfaith Service.
Sister True Virtue, who at the time was the Abbess of the Green Mountain Dharma Center, teaching in the tradition of
Thich Nhat Hanh's Order of Interbeing, led a meditation, centering & grounding
the more than 80 participants for the rest of the day.
Local Christians including The Rev. Dr. Paige of St. George's Episcopal Chuch (York Harbor), Pastor Sharon Miesel of
York-Ogunquit United Methodist Church (UMC)
& Pastor Sue Kingman of Sanford Unitarian Universalist Church (UUC) also took part in the Interfaith Service.
Iman Ibrahim Sayer, Boston Dialogue Foundation, did a transforming reading from the Koran in Arabic.
Rabbi David Mark, Temple Israel in Portsmouth, blew the Shofar,
made from Ram's Horn, reminding us that it is made from the same material as our fingernails &
that the work before us must be done with our hands.
The Rt. Rev. Peter Weaver, presiding bishop of the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church (NEUMC)was also
serving the Worldwide head the United Methodist's at the time of the conference. He spoke about trips to Africa, meeting with
religious leaders to speak with President Bush, & attending the Transatlantic Forum on Global Poverty in London prior to the 2005 G8 Summit.
Jan Schrock, Senior Advisor of Heifer International at the time, is the daughter of
Dan West, Heifer's founder, spoke about Heifer's interaction with communities, helping them plan their futures.
Lallie Lloyd, Episcopalian's for Global Reconciliation (E4GR), spoke about her book -
"Eradicating Global Poverty - A Christian Study Guide on the MDG."
Margaret Udahogora, of Rwanda, spoke about educating orphans from her country, also
reminding us of Africa's beauty. Suzanne Bowman,
talked about BeadforLife - Ugandan women (many HIV/AIDS positive) making beads and jewelry for two years and now
supporting 170 families.
NAACP, Salvation Army and United Way attended as guests with clergy and
other participants. Program stressed MDG, trade issues, & activisim.
Millennium Campaign Pledge & ONE Declaration were signed - "No Excuses" White Wristbands were handed out with
resource guides. By setting the example of working together across potitical, cultural, spiritual & religious boundaries,
we can make an amazing difference.
Interfaith Communities Can Heal the World!
A second round of NEIDEEP is planned for October 2008.
Activating New England will make a difference in ending extreme poverty. After all, we hosted a memorable
tea party that changed the course of history.
In a world where so many go hungry,
Let us make the fruits of creation available for all.
In a world where one billion of our brothers and sisters do not have safe drinking water,
Let us help the waters run clear.
In a world where so many die so young,
And so many mothers die in childbirth,
And so many families are ravaged by disease,
Let us bring health and healing.
In a world where women carry such heavy burdens,
Let us recognize and restore the rights of all.
Let us join together, with a new sense of global community,
A new awareness of our need for one another,
And for this fragile planet,
To meet the clear challenge of the Millennium Goals,
To bring hope as substantial as bread,
To make human dignity as visible as wheat in the fields.
Special thanks to The Rev. Mike Kinman for his assistance on how to set up a cool blog!