Sunday School DVD Curriculum
Who Is My Neighbor? A Faith Discussion on Immigration
On the DVD you will find four one-hour sessions, with segments of filmed interviews and actual facts and figures on immigration interspersed with class activities and discussion. The curriculum is scripture/faith based. This is an outstanding, professionally filmed with solid theology, piece that does not require extensive previous knowledge on the part of the leader. It helps us to bring into tension our role as a U.S. citizen and our faith view point on this issue of immigration as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love our neighbor. When asked, "Who is our neighbor?", he responded with the parable of the good Samaritan making the outsider Samaritan the hero of the story. He basically was saying, "If you have to ask, 'Who is my neighbor?', then your neighborhood is too small." For we who call ourselves Christian, what ever stance we take on immigration issues, we must take our position through the faith filter, "Does this stance reflect my love of neighbor?"
The sessions are:
- “We are all strangers in the land of Egypt”
- “What does the Lord require of you?”
- “Perfect love casts out fear”
- The Good Samaritan: Who is my neighbor?”
Those organizations that funded the project are:
- Presbytery of Plains and Peaks
- United Methodist Church
- Women’s Division, General Board of Global Ministries
- General Board of Church and Society
- United Methodist Committee on Relief
- General Board Global Ministries Hispanic Ministries
- Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado,
- First Plymouth Church Foundation, Denver Colorado,
- Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, and
- the Iliff School of Theology
The team leader in the production committee was Danielle Short, American Friends Service Committee. Film producer was Denver Film and Digital.
To order your copy of the DVD curriculum, please send a check for $20 made out to Colorado Council of Churches, 3690 Cherry Creek South Dr., Denver, CO. 80209. Please include your mailing address and e-mail address. The Council will then mail you a copy of the DVD. Once you receive the DVD, you have the permission of the Colorado Council of Churches to CLICK HERE to access, download and print your copy of the 69 page study guide and supporting documents. If you have questions, please call Rev. Dr. Jim Ryan at 303-825-4910.
Colorado Interfaith Pledge on Immigration
A broad interfaith coalition is asking all Coloradans of faith to sign on to recognizing the sacred humanity of all immigrants and to work towards just, workable and humane immigration reform.
You may go online to “sign” the pledge at www.coloradoimmigrant.org/pledge.
Do we care what Jesus says?
A theological reflection on immigration
Rev. Dr. Jim Ryan
Council Executive
A congregation was divided over whether or not to welcome some new immigrants into their congregation. Everyone knew that most of the new arrivals were undocumented. In the midst of their struggle they decided to turn to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For several weeks they studied how Jesus included the children, the women, the Samaritans, the rich, the poor. He seemed to always include those whom others found reason to exclude. Finally, one young woman in her frustration stood up and said, “I don’t care what Jesus says, I don’t want those people in my church.”
It seems to me that for those who call themselves Christian, for those who claim to follow Jesus, the primary bottom line question on the issue of immigration is not a question of legality; the bottom line is, “Do we care what Jesus says?”
When asked what is the greatest commandment, Jesus replied to love God and the second is to love our neighbor. When asked, “Who is my neighbor?” he responded by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan in which Jesus made the excluded Samaritan the hero, while the two religious faithful, concerned about legality, walked by on the other side. Jesus was saying that everyone, even Samaritans, are your neighbors.
I am not going to take a position on raids, or breaking up families, or path to citizenship, or guest worker programs, or in-state tuition, or health services or K-12 education. What I am saying is for those of us who call ourselves Christians, we must examine those issues through our spiritual lens and make sure our positions reflect our love of neighbor. Jesus said, “Love God and love your neighbor.” The question is, when we are dealing with the issue of immigration, “do we care what Jesus says?”
To learn more about what the state councils of churches are doing about immigration nationwide, please visit: http://www.ncccusa.org/immigrations/
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