ONE voice.

'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For i was hungry and you gave me food, i was thirsty and you gave me drink, i was a stranger and you welcomed me, i was naked and you clothed me, i was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you...?" And the King will answer them, "Truly, i say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me." -Matthew 25:34-40

Who am i to have the security of living in safe suburbia? Who am i that i have the opportunity to receive a good education? Who am i that i have more than enough food to eat whenever, wherever, at my disposal? Not to mention clean water, medical services, shopping centers, parks, sidewalks, paved roads, cars, beaches, clean air, eye glasses, immunizations, and money.

And who would i be if i remained an ignorant, white woman who never looked beyond the safety and security of the community i was blessed beyond BELIEF to grow up in? Who would i be if i didn't share the resources, the blessings, the opportunities, the gifts I've received surely by God's grace alone? Who would i be if i didn't reach out, if i remained ill-informed and apathetic? Who would i be if i didn't use my one voice for the good and well being of others?

As i drove home from the Waite House today, all of these questions ran through my mind. I have been given an opportunity to be educated, to open my eyes and to serve others in my community - to hear about, witness and spread the news of others without the security i have. I tend to shy away from politics - i guess, in a sense, ignorance is bliss. But if i am ignorant, if i do not fight for what i believe is right, if my voice remains silent, ignorance is crippling. Is my faith enough? Surely, the answer is yes. My faith in a God who sent His beloved son to walk on this earth and touch the untouchable, reach out to those in need, feed the hungry, tend to the sick, RAISE PEOPLE FROM THE DEAD, welcome any and all - that is my God. That is Jesus Christ, my Lord, and my reason to fight. I went to a prayer vigil at the Ramsey County Prison this afternoon, and boy, was it powerful. To see others join together in this fight to partake in the most powerful, yet simple thing was astounding - the power of prayer! It was amazing to see strangers give my U of M classmates and i money to put towards our Food Shelf Drive for the Waite House - simply humbling.

Yes, immigration is a tough issue. I'm not saying i have all the answers or know of a solution to this tough topic. But what i am sure of, is the need to look beyond the title of "alien", "illegal immigrant", "latino" or "black" or "white" and see a human LIFE. There is a need to look past patriotism and love of country and begin to love on and serve others in NEED. There is a reason why so many risk their lives crossing dry deserts and deadly bodies of water in attempts to seek refuge in this country. Truly, this is not a threat but a cry of DESPERATION. And who are we to quickly point fingers at 'outsiders' as the root of our economic problems or current state? That is a truly ridiculous lie. As followers of Christ, are we not called to welcome strangers? Since when does patriotism come before our everlasting faith in our everlasting King? There must be a better solution, than to violently turn foreigners away; than to have the right to demand proof of citizenship from anyone that appears "foreign", for this is truly racial profiling. There must be a better way to approach those held in detention centers by refusing them food/drink, a clean place to stay and taking all their belongings. There MUST be a better way. And it may involve reaching beyond the boarder to the root of the problem.

In the choice between patriotism and humanity, can the well being of human lives be compromised for love of country? Certainly not. "A man may have to die for our country: but no man must, in any exclusive sense, live for his country. He who surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or of a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most empathetically belongs to God: himself" -C.S. Lewis

How could i stay silent, apathetic and in the dark all of these years? I am but one voice. But backed with purpose, a faith in the Lord's power and the need of fellow human beings, one voice can be a catalyst to a powerful change.

What is your voice being used to proclaim? How will your life make a difference in the lives of others? In what way will you share what you've been blessed with? We have but one life, one chance, one voice - i urge each of us to use it in bettering the lives of others and living out a life of faith.



Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality -Romans 12:13