143. How the Church Can Respond to Immigration, with Karen Gonzalez, author of Beyond Welcome

Spiritual Life and Leadership

Karen Gonzalez is an immigration advocate and the author of Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration. In this episode, Karen Gonzalez, helps us understand both the challenges of immigration and how we, the church, can love and bless those who have immigrated in ways that are healthy and lifegiving for everyone.
THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Karen Gonzalez is an immigration advocate and the author of Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration.
• Karen Gonzalez shares the story of how her understanding of immigration developed over time.
• Church ministries that focus on immigration don’t generally center on the immigrants; they tend to focus on the church and its people.
• Think about the words that you use and whether your words are creating an “us and them” or just creating a “we.”
• The words we use can sometimes be unintentionally dehumanizing.
• Hospitality should not be one-directional—from the non-immigrant to the immigrant. Hospitality should be mutual, flowing in both directions.
• Karen Gonzalez shares the story of a woman who said she appreciates Mother Mary because Mary knows what it feels like to have her son killed by the state—which is how this woman’s son died, too.
• We all do theology from somewhere.
• Karen Gonzalez describes the richness that those who are not immigrants can experience when they learn from the experiences of those who are immigrants.
• Ministry leaders should reflect on where their understanding of immigration comes from.
• Karen Gonzalez offers some ways that people and churches can help immigrants and refugees.
• To find out how to best help immigrants visit World Relief, International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, and Church World Service.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Karen Gonzalez:
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
• Books mentioned:
  • Beyond Welcome, by Karen Gonzalez
  • Beyond Thingification, by Markus Watson
• Immigration Resources:
  • World Relief
  • International Rescue Committee
  • Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services
  • Church World Service

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