"The undocumented God of the Bible and the refugee Christ stand forever at our doors knocking — at the threshold of our consciousness, our homes, and our national borders — waiting for us to remember the roots of our faith and identity, and to embrace a discipleship of prophetic hospitality," writes Ched Myers, a writer and educator who works with Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries, where he focuses on building biblical literacy, church renewal and faith-based witness for justice (http://www.ChedMyers.org). The co-writer of this book is Matthew Colwell, pastor of Knox Presbyterian Church in Pasadena, California, and the author of Sabbath Economics: Household Practices.
Immigration reform is a hot potato in Washington, D. C., and the recently revived Sanctuary Movement in Christian churches has not gained much traction or momentum. It is nothing short of shameful that Americans, living in an "immigrant nation," still exhibit prejudice and hostility towards undocumented immigrants. Mixing biblical stories with profiles of contemporary practitioners of immigrant justice, Myers and Colwell cover a large number of pertinent themes including diversity, churches without borders, embracing "otherness," defending human rights, policy reform, and recovering our cultural history. The authors salute Jesus' rigorous spiritual practice of hospitality and add: "We follow a refugee Christ whose family fled to Egypt to escape political persecution and who had no place to lay his head."
