Borderland Update: 3 Points on the "Border Crisis"
The Rev. Canon Lee Curtis, Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande
In this week’s borderland update, The Rev. Canon Lee Curtis, Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande, shares three quick points about the “Border Crisis.” Take five minutes to learn about the changes in patterns of immigration and how RGBM is showing up to #WelcomeWithDignity.
We hope you had the chance to watch the video announcing our parish partnership program! We look forward to walking alongside you as you discern your call to welcome the stranger and support the work of RGBM. Questions? Connect with our project coordinator Nellie Fagan (admin@riograndeborderland.org). Click the button below to learn more about parish partnerships and download our sample covenant
RGBM Cycle of Prayer
As local churches and organizations prepare to welcome Afghan refugees, we pray for the resources and volunteers needed. May God give abundantly more than we can imagine for these families seeking to begin again and guide them into loving communities of welcome.
As the growing demand for labor threatens to impact fruit, vegetable, and livestock industries, the need for increased immigration levels is evident in every state and across industries. We pray for business owners and workers who are under strain and for migrants who are in need of visas and immigration status adjustments. May God help leaders work together for solutions that will positively impact communities and workers.
O God, you give justice to the weak and the orphan. Fill us with strength and courage as we walk alongside children and families who seek welcome and comfort. Lead us to honor the humanity in people who must flee. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. - Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services
Who is my neighbor? When Jesus was asked this question, he pointed to those in need. He pointed to those separated from us by boundaries that can seem hard to cross. We are here with you, stepping into loving all our neighbors and shattering those barriers with the love of God.
As our eyes turned to the Haitian migrants at the border in Del Rio this past week, we pray for them and all those displaced and facing uncertainty. We grieve for communities suffering due to disaster, as in Haiti, and ask God for restoration. May God give strength to those seeking to rebuild their lives and families.
This situation also reminds us to pray for those in leadership over border patrol and all those making decisions about immigration policy and procedures. God, we ask that they lead with wisdom and compassion. May they make decisions and work together with others in leadership with integrity and honesty.
As we seek to engage and welcome across cultures, we confess our many mistakes, biases, and misconceptions. We pray for the courage to step into the risk of welcome and for humility to learn from others. Jesus, help us to actively seek out others with your welcome and to step out of what is comfortable in our love for all made in the image of God.
Who is my neighbor? When Jesus was asked this question, he pointed to those in need. He pointed to those separated from us by boundaries that can seem hard to cross. We are here with you, stepping into loving all our neighbors and shattering those barriers with the love of God.
O God, you give justice to the weak and the orphan. Fill us with strength and courage as we walk alongside children and families who seek welcome and comfort. Lead us to honor the humanity in people who must flee. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. - Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services