A statement from the DirectorJanuary 25, 2017
A Statement from the Director, Episcopal Migration Ministries The Rev'd Canon E. Mark Stevenson It is being widely reported that soon the President will issue an Executive Order that suspends the U.S. refugee resettlement program for a significant time, severely reduces the number of refugees who are welcomed into the United States this year, and prohibits from resettlement those who are fleeing for their lives from the violence in several specific countries. This decision will mean that many of those who are the most vulnerable, the most at risk of further violence, the least likely to be able to fend for themselves, are now to be left without hope. Such a position does not reflect who we are as a nation, or as a people of faith. This action will be taken, we are told, to make us safe. Yet, isolating ourselves from the world does not make us safer; it only isolates us. Being afraid of those who differ from us does not make us wise, or even prudent; it only traps us in an echo chamber of suspicion and anger, and stops us cold from loving as Christ loved. Judging an entire culture or a religion or a nation by the actions of extremists within it does not make us a strong leader in the world; it destroys our ability to tap into the strength of the greater whole, it causes others to judge us, and - like the Pharisee in Luke 18:11 who prayed, "God, I thank thee that I am not as others are" - it stains our soul with a self-righteousness that grieves the heart of God. America cannot solve the violence in other lands on this particular day, nor even in the days that will follow immediately. But, we can act morally and show leadership. We can save lives - today, tomorrow, and the day after that. We can offer a place of safety, and a second chance at life to those who so desperately need it. For me, as a Christian, I cannot conquer the evil in this world. But, as a Christian, I know that I do not have to. Jesus has already won that battle for me. I am called simply to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. I can see the image of God in "the other," and give thanks for it. Episcopal Migration Ministries is going to continue to minister to those who have fled their homes because of persecution, violence, or war. Through our network of affiliates across this country, and with the help of the wider Episcopal Church, we will welcome these men, women, and children who did not choose to become refugees. In partnership with the other resettlement agencies, we will work with our government and local communities to provide a place of welcome. We can make a difference in these days. We can save lives. We can answer the cry of the persecuted, and the call of God. "...for I was a stranger and you welcomed me...." (Matt 25:35) |
RCUSA Syrian Refugee Webinar - Coordination Call January 9, 4 - 6pm EST We invite you to a new kind of webinar. And please RSVP so that we know you will joining us! To join the webinar, go to http://join.me/faith4immigration and follow the directions for audio and visual. For audio only call, dial +1.202.602.1295, Access Code: 354-977-836# Here is how this will work:
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Midweek Meditation from Episcopal Migration Ministries
By Allison Duvall, Manager for Church Relations and Engagement
St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the Spanish priest, theologian, and founder of the Jesuit order (Society of Jesus), believed that through imagination we could draw closer to God. His Spiritual Exercises teach a practice of imaginative contemplation that draws one into a deeper relationship with God through scripture.
In one of the work's early exercises, Ignatius invites the reader to meditate on the birth of Jesus: to imagine Mary's home - its size, how many rooms there were; to imagine the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem; to imagine the place of the Nativity - Mary in labor, Joseph at her side, and the birth of the Christ child. When I took a moment to try this exercise for myself, it nearly took my breath away. The dirt, the smell, the sweat, the fear, the hope, the cry of the newborn child. The world-altering, boundary-crossing incarnation of Love left a lingering scent of dung and moldy straw.
I often wonder how it is that we celebrate Christmas with such pomp, when the reality of the event we commemorate was one of danger and fear, devastation and sorrow, difficulty and pain. This Friday, January 6, we'll celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, the manifestation of God in Jesus as revealed to the Gentiles in the persons of the Three Magi, or Wise Men. At my home parish, Christ Church Cathedral in the Diocese of Lexington, the celebration of Epiphany it is an event of joy and a special wonder in children's eyes as camels process through the beautiful Cathedral.
But what of the reality of the event?
I invite you to take a moment to try St. Ignatius' exercise of imaginative contemplation on the Gospel Reading appointed for the Feast of the Epiphany: Matthew 2:1-12. Imagine yourself in the home of an anonymous young couple and their toddler son as Herod's murderous campaign descends on Bethlehem. What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you see? What do you feel? What do you do?
What do we do?
That's the question that startles me every Epiphany - what do we do? What do we do with the voices that the text has neglected or silenced - the hundreds of families whose children were murdered? What do we do with the voices with us today that are repressed, oppressed, and that no one seems to hear?
I can only wonder how popular opinion and public policy towards refugees might shift were we all to engage in St. Ignatius' spiritual exercises.
Who are the Holy Innocents, today? And what do we do?
By Allison Duvall, Manager for Church Relations and Engagement
St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the Spanish priest, theologian, and founder of the Jesuit order (Society of Jesus), believed that through imagination we could draw closer to God. His Spiritual Exercises teach a practice of imaginative contemplation that draws one into a deeper relationship with God through scripture.
In one of the work's early exercises, Ignatius invites the reader to meditate on the birth of Jesus: to imagine Mary's home - its size, how many rooms there were; to imagine the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem; to imagine the place of the Nativity - Mary in labor, Joseph at her side, and the birth of the Christ child. When I took a moment to try this exercise for myself, it nearly took my breath away. The dirt, the smell, the sweat, the fear, the hope, the cry of the newborn child. The world-altering, boundary-crossing incarnation of Love left a lingering scent of dung and moldy straw.
I often wonder how it is that we celebrate Christmas with such pomp, when the reality of the event we commemorate was one of danger and fear, devastation and sorrow, difficulty and pain. This Friday, January 6, we'll celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, the manifestation of God in Jesus as revealed to the Gentiles in the persons of the Three Magi, or Wise Men. At my home parish, Christ Church Cathedral in the Diocese of Lexington, the celebration of Epiphany it is an event of joy and a special wonder in children's eyes as camels process through the beautiful Cathedral.
But what of the reality of the event?
I invite you to take a moment to try St. Ignatius' exercise of imaginative contemplation on the Gospel Reading appointed for the Feast of the Epiphany: Matthew 2:1-12. Imagine yourself in the home of an anonymous young couple and their toddler son as Herod's murderous campaign descends on Bethlehem. What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you see? What do you feel? What do you do?
What do we do?
That's the question that startles me every Epiphany - what do we do? What do we do with the voices that the text has neglected or silenced - the hundreds of families whose children were murdered? What do we do with the voices with us today that are repressed, oppressed, and that no one seems to hear?
I can only wonder how popular opinion and public policy towards refugees might shift were we all to engage in St. Ignatius' spiritual exercises.
Who are the Holy Innocents, today? And what do we do?
Questions & answers about the Current Global Refugee Crisis
Click #REFUGEES WELCOME FOR A SLIDE SHOW PRESENTATION
- The current global refugee crisis is the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II.
- Episcopal Relief & Development continues to respond to human need in the Middle East and throughout Europe.
- Episcopal Migration Ministries responds to human need as refugees enter America.
Prayer for Refugees
Dear Lord, You know what it means to be a refugee. You also lost all and perhaps remembered how you came to be hungry and naked, thirsty and cold, prisoners in a camp or prisoners in our own minds. They even took your cloak and you had nothing left, except some people who came by to quench your thirst, to give you a blanket and to help carry your burden.
Lord Jesus, for God's sake, let us be those people who bring comfort, food and water, and an encouraging word. And may we then hear the words softly spoken: "insofar as you did it unto these people who are the least of my brothers, you did it unto me. Go in peace!" By Brother Andrew L. de Carpentier, Jordan
