I’m happy to wrap up this week with posts about a powerful trio of op-eds supporting fair immigration reform. In this post, I’d like to call your attention to The Cincinnati Enquirer, which yesterday published the op-ed of Rev. Kristine Suna-Koro.
Rev. Kristine Suna-Koro is Assistant Professor of Theology at Xavier University. She is a pastor in the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (LELBA) and serves on the LIRS board. In her August 1 piece, “Immigration Bill Reflects Our Ideals,” she writes:
As an immigrant and naturalized American citizen, the words of the New Testament resonate with me particularly poignantly during these days of intense debate over immigration reform. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” Jesus said, adding: “in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it for me.” (Matthew 25).
These days, can we count on our elected representatives to ensure that America lives up to that ideal?
With the House of Representatives seemingly poised to obstruct progress toward comprehensive immigration reform, I fear the answer may be “no.” I write, therefore, to urge our U.S. representatives to redouble their efforts to craft bipartisan legislation that moves fair, prudent and compassionate reform closer to reality.
She further writes:
As a theologian and Lutheran pastor, I am compelled by the vision of the Hebrew prophets and Christ himself, who preached a community in which even strangers – so often feared, ignored, vilified and blamed then and now – are welcomed.
I ask all Ohioans to join me in calling on our House lawmakers to make that vision – that community – more of a reality here and now by passing a fair and balanced comprehensive immigration reform bill.
Read the entire piece by clicking the link in the headline above, and show your support for Rev. Suna-Koro by leaving a positive comment, promoting the piece through Facebook and other social media, and sending the link to your friends, colleagues, and family.
Fair and compassionate immigration reform faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives this summer. We need many more voices to speak up in the way that Rev. Suna-Koro has! We’re very grateful to her for writing this piece, and for her steadfast leadership on immigration and refugee issues. We’re also grateful to the Cincinnati Enquirer for publishing his op-ed.
Please take a moment now to raise your own voice for fair immigration reform via the LIRS Action Center. Also, please don’t forget to sign up to receive alerts from this blog, and check out our new Immigration Reform Mythbuster. Thank you for all that you do to Stand for Welcome!