The second half of this blog is my reflection on how my immigration journey and how the lessons I learned can impact the church and Christ-followers. I spoke of the lens I use to view my fellow immigrants, in whatever state of naturalization they are in currently. WHAT IF all Christ followers took the viewpoint that I have espoused? That view looks like this:
1) I know as a white, English speaking male I have the most power in the room wherever I go, but I want this to change to make it equal footing.
All to often when new people arrive on the scene in our churches we treat them as "greencard" holders or maybe even as illegal aliens. Now I do think it is prudent to have a bit of a training period for people and of course to exercise caution in letting just anyone work and lead in the church without a basic background check. But I think once all of the legal hoops have been jumped through (matters which are handled by one or two people who are designated to do these things, usually a Staff member or Trustee), are these people fully functioning members? In the USA, once I became a citizen, I had all the rights that those that were born and raised in this country have. Do we as a church extend this same value system to new people in our congregation? I think we too often let them "lead with a leash". That is we tell them they can lead some small upstart ministry or they can help by doing some jobs no one else wants. Or worse still if we give them a real job, we micro-manage it like we are teaching a teenager to drive. Now I agree that the discipling process is important, but many, dare I say most, new people already have the skills needed to lead or they wouldn't have volunteered. Its a trust factor on our end.
2) People have incredible stories that are more than likely better than mine, how can I get them to share and than use the information for the profit of everyone. (Helping to provide equal footing by listening).
The best church growth strategy that is most poorly used is not paying attention to the changing demographics of your ministry area. People that have just come to the faith have been living outside of the the friendly confines of the church and thus have a much better grasp on how to reach those who don't know Him. All too often the church functions like a government agency. The same people from the same background are making all the major decisions and strategizing on how to most effectively reach out to those in the community and sphere of influence that are not like them. The "target audience" if you will. This is like asking a senior citizen how to most effectively bring in children and teens to the church. But this is what we do. If we want to reach teens, talk to and mentor teens. If you want to diversify your membership, talk to those who have diverse backgrounds and come up with a strategy. We cannot just leave it to one demographic, or our church will mirror that demographic. Sound familiar?
3) After observing the special type of leadership personality it takes to venture out from your country and attempt to start new in a foreign land, I realized the foundation of that person is hope. How can the church harvest the seeds of leadership these people have and then teach those qualities to others, so the church can learn more effectively how to grow in this changing culture?
As Christians hope is what drive us. The hope of things to come, heaven. As Christ followers we should be living sacrificially, but all too often we live in great abundance. The drive it takes immigrants to set out from a foreign land is similar to the story of Abram. God told him to go to "a land which I will tell you". He didn't give him a compass, GPS, or Google Earth app, God just said GO, and I will tell you when to stop. For the immigrant, the "GO" feeling is similar to what Abram must have had. Anticipation, paired with fear but nurtured by hope. That "GO" feeling is what can change the course that most American churches are driving. Following God's call, even when we don't know where He is leading or what the end game will be. Immigrants have made that step of faith, and that confidence needs to be tapped into and mined. Hope should be pushing all of our ministry. Hope of rescuing people from troubled relationships with themselves, and others. Hope that God can fill any void and has a path for them to follow, and hope that despite the bumps and bruises we take from the journey, the end of the trip will be worth it.
To many of us have forgotten about hope. Not only is it not driving us, it's in a bag at the bottom of the trunk! Allowing people to lead who are in this country because of hope can lead the Church to new places. Because part of hope involves dreams and visions of things that are better. Isn't that why we "do church"? To make life better for everyone but showing them the pathway to heaven. To grow our churches the right way. To include everyone in leadership and include their ideas and God's plan for them too! Restore hope in your church by including everyone and their stories and passions. Put hope back in hearts of His people.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Journey From Alien to Citizen: Part 1
Well, on June 6th, 2011 I became a US Citizen. My heart and mind have been in a state of flux since that afternoon two days ago. I am pleased that the journey that I started in July of 1996 has culminated with this wonderful and sought after ending. In a way the turmoil I feel I realize is centered around the feeling that I have turned my back on my homeland of Canada. This is a silly reality, as I have dual citizenship and do not ever plan on renouncing my claim to be from either fine country. Maybe this is how mother's feel when they have post-partum depression. Just like those mother's, it is hard to understand the rationale, because you still have the one you birthed or were born into in my case, but yet you now have the ultimate goal, for mother's the real live baby, and for me citizenship in the country I live. The home of the brave. A place where thousands desire to be but cannot attain because of their life circumstances. So being a touch down-trodden seems silly, I'm sure it will wear off and like a moment I had yesterday, I will stay in the place of shouting from the rooftops "I did it! I'm an American". It's OK to be proud of that, and still be a proud Canadian as well.
I believe it is more of a reflective state then a depression anyway, thus the purpose of this blog post. I have been reflecting on my journey from alien to citizen, and how it has changed me. I was talking about it with a close friend yesterday. Indeed, the experiences of life are the greatest teacher, much more than any book. At least for me they are, and for you as well if you pay attention to the details. You may laugh when I say this, but being a registered alien was the best life lesson I have ever been taught. It is what has made my ministry and my attention to justice issues tangible and not just another high horse for a white pastor to trumpet. For me, it is real. I lived it. Now I'm not so naive to think that my immigration is the same as that of someone who is coming from a third-world country who has no promise of a job, food, lodging or even a common language when they arrive on US soil. Greencard or not, that person has it far more difficult than I did. But it has colored my lens because I feel like I can legitimately have empathy for that guy. With one major Grand Canyon sized caveat, I'm a white English speaking male. Yes, I went there. It is an important fact to note. Why? because no matter how bad my journey to citizenship was at its worst moment, I could always just go to the mall, even though I don't like to shop. What?
When you go to the mall, all you see are faces. Let's face it, I don't stand out, check that I do stand out, as a guy who automatically holds power in the room. "Whoa Paul", what do you mean by that? White males have always held the power in this country, and so just by walking out of the door or through a crowded mall I can feel powerful and in many cases get treated better (or more accurately get treated properly)by those who interact with me. So no matter how difficult it was in the early days, I knew it was better for me than for most of the 78 others who became citizens with me on June 6. Whether we like it or not, white males get the best treatment. I hope and desire to change that, not because I hate what I am, but because everyone else deserves the same treatment. This is America after all.
So I chose to learn, observe and reflect. I am glad that the US government treated me the same as everyone else that was seeking immigration/greencard etc. When I came to the US on a student Visa I was only able to work campus jobs or those approved by the INS, just like some of the guys who became my best friends, Jose, Jose, Timothy and Yuri to name a few. We had a camaraderie amongst us that was special. I worked many hours on campus as a janitor, landscaper,and painter. As I worked my way up the "campus job ladder" it was front desk jobs and cafeteria worker. Most of the time I worked with fellow F-1 (student) visa holders. Of course I had plenty of American friends, but everything came easy for them. Churches sponsoring them, families a few hours away and the ability to work wherever and how much they wanted. Just a different world. I wouldn't change a thing though because as inconvenient as it was sometimes, I learned so much from it. Plus I was blessed to inherit a family in 1998 when I married my wife. I have such a respect for those who are immigrants to this country who either have papers, a greencard, or some other form of valid USA entry documents or those who do not. It takes a special make-up to have the guts to leave your comfort zone, even if it isn't comfortable, and come thousands of miles away and start over because of hope.
Every time I see a landscaper, house cleaner, painter, trash worker, or other manual labor job working person who is obviously of a different nationality, I am applauding inside and I want to ask; "what's your story?" Not just because I know it is probably much more amazing than mine, but I feel like I can empathize with them more than any white person probably ever has. I'm so glad God allowed me to have this journey, it has been life changing for me in such a different way than it is for most of the others who became citizens with me. They knew their lives would be changed forever, I would have never guessed it when I pulled out of my parent's driveway in July of 1996 to go to Seminary. Who knew that the best lesson I would be taught would take 15 years to refine to maturity and would be taught using banana pudding, landscape timbers and mop-bucket. The wonder's of God never cease to amaze me.
I believe it is more of a reflective state then a depression anyway, thus the purpose of this blog post. I have been reflecting on my journey from alien to citizen, and how it has changed me. I was talking about it with a close friend yesterday. Indeed, the experiences of life are the greatest teacher, much more than any book. At least for me they are, and for you as well if you pay attention to the details. You may laugh when I say this, but being a registered alien was the best life lesson I have ever been taught. It is what has made my ministry and my attention to justice issues tangible and not just another high horse for a white pastor to trumpet. For me, it is real. I lived it. Now I'm not so naive to think that my immigration is the same as that of someone who is coming from a third-world country who has no promise of a job, food, lodging or even a common language when they arrive on US soil. Greencard or not, that person has it far more difficult than I did. But it has colored my lens because I feel like I can legitimately have empathy for that guy. With one major Grand Canyon sized caveat, I'm a white English speaking male. Yes, I went there. It is an important fact to note. Why? because no matter how bad my journey to citizenship was at its worst moment, I could always just go to the mall, even though I don't like to shop. What?
When you go to the mall, all you see are faces. Let's face it, I don't stand out, check that I do stand out, as a guy who automatically holds power in the room. "Whoa Paul", what do you mean by that? White males have always held the power in this country, and so just by walking out of the door or through a crowded mall I can feel powerful and in many cases get treated better (or more accurately get treated properly)by those who interact with me. So no matter how difficult it was in the early days, I knew it was better for me than for most of the 78 others who became citizens with me on June 6. Whether we like it or not, white males get the best treatment. I hope and desire to change that, not because I hate what I am, but because everyone else deserves the same treatment. This is America after all.
So I chose to learn, observe and reflect. I am glad that the US government treated me the same as everyone else that was seeking immigration/greencard etc. When I came to the US on a student Visa I was only able to work campus jobs or those approved by the INS, just like some of the guys who became my best friends, Jose, Jose, Timothy and Yuri to name a few. We had a camaraderie amongst us that was special. I worked many hours on campus as a janitor, landscaper,and painter. As I worked my way up the "campus job ladder" it was front desk jobs and cafeteria worker. Most of the time I worked with fellow F-1 (student) visa holders. Of course I had plenty of American friends, but everything came easy for them. Churches sponsoring them, families a few hours away and the ability to work wherever and how much they wanted. Just a different world. I wouldn't change a thing though because as inconvenient as it was sometimes, I learned so much from it. Plus I was blessed to inherit a family in 1998 when I married my wife. I have such a respect for those who are immigrants to this country who either have papers, a greencard, or some other form of valid USA entry documents or those who do not. It takes a special make-up to have the guts to leave your comfort zone, even if it isn't comfortable, and come thousands of miles away and start over because of hope.
Every time I see a landscaper, house cleaner, painter, trash worker, or other manual labor job working person who is obviously of a different nationality, I am applauding inside and I want to ask; "what's your story?" Not just because I know it is probably much more amazing than mine, but I feel like I can empathize with them more than any white person probably ever has. I'm so glad God allowed me to have this journey, it has been life changing for me in such a different way than it is for most of the others who became citizens with me. They knew their lives would be changed forever, I would have never guessed it when I pulled out of my parent's driveway in July of 1996 to go to Seminary. Who knew that the best lesson I would be taught would take 15 years to refine to maturity and would be taught using banana pudding, landscape timbers and mop-bucket. The wonder's of God never cease to amaze me.
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