So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all … — Galatians 6: 9-10a

Dear friends and neighbors,

No doubt you have heard some or much of what is happening in Minnesota. And perhaps you have drawn some conclusions about who is to blame for the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. I write this in an effort to help you understand why Minnesotans are protesting the actions of ICE. It has been said that if you want to understand another person’s story, walk a mile in their shoes. Walk with me for just this little bit as together we imagine the story of another.

Imagine… that your church musician has been seeking asylum through the legal immigration process, but one Sunday morning, is detained in the church parking lot and never shows up for worship. You don’t know where they have been taken.

Imagine… that your next-door neighbor, whom you meet regularly for chats over the fence, and who has completed all the steps for legal immigration and is awaiting their green card, is taken away one frosty morning, and not even given the time to put on a winter coat.

Imagine…that your child or grandchild comes home from school one day in tears because their best friend isn’t coming to school anymore. You call that friend’s mom and find out that the family is staying inside, afraid to go to school, or go grocery shopping, or go to doctor appointments. They are legal immigrants but are living in fear.

This is what has been happening. My information is not from any news broadcast that some might dismiss as being skewed or biased but from people I know – clergy and friends who have shared their stories. This is why Minnesota neighbors are doing what they can to document and hold accountable the instances where law enforcement is not following the law. On Friday, Jan. 23, some 50,000 people marched in peaceful protest objecting to the chaos. The detentions have not been limited to dangerous or convicted criminals, or even the undocumented. And this is what has sparked a concerted pushback.

It is heartbreaking and concerning. It would be easier if we all agreed about what we were hearing and seeing. It would be easier, and far more comfortable, if we agreed on the causes and solutions. In the absence of that common ground, I encourage you to stay in relationship with each other. Invest in the ministry of your community of faith. Be in conversation and hear what each other has to say about these things; not with the objective to change minds, but to offer and receive insights and points of view from another’s perspective.

Do not give up on each other, so that together, we can work for the good of all.

Peace be with you,