With plans for the largest deportation operation in the history of the United States now underway, the days ahead will be a defining moment for our country and for all people of faith.

Over the centuries, the great faith traditions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have emphasized the obligation to care for the most vulnerable among us by extending hospitality and mercy to those in need. A Faith That Does Justice works to fulfill this obligation through two of our major programs, both of which serve immigrants: the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program and the Grab & Go lunch program.

At this difficult moment, as we expect further deportations and detainment of immigrants, even those who are in the country legally, we stand with all those whom we serve and those throughout the country who now live in fear.  We pledge our very best efforts to ease that fear and to walk alongside those now rendered so especially vulnerable. We further pledge to find new ways to empower those who need help, modeling our response on that of the Good Samaritan.

A few weeks ago, we heard a prophetic voice.  At a Service of Prayer for the Nation at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C, Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, prayed that God would “grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being.”  She made a personal plea to the President of the United States to have mercy on all those in the country who are now scared. Her sermon is a powerful call to us all.

As you consider how you might make a difference, A Faith That Does Justice strongly encourages you to contact your elected representatives, especially in those states and Congressional districts where the Senator or Representative does not seem to understand the Biblical message that we are indeed our brother’s keeper. Hearts must be changed – policies follow!  Urge your Senators and Representatives to defend the dignity of the nation’s immigrants and to work fervently to ensure they are treated with fairness, compassion, and respect.

And then write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper.  Better yet, get a few friends or your faith affiliated group to sign on to that letter. Numbers matter. We need to demonstrate that this is indeed a country full of compassion, generosity, and mercy.

In advocating for our vulnerable neighbors, our late founder Father Peter, who was surely a prophet among us, preached that while it is one thing to follow one’s faith, it is even more meaningful to go beyond the dogma to “live with heart, hands and feet” that enter into the suffering of others.

Let us work together to strengthen the noble principles on which this country was founded.  In this time of crisis, we must not falter.

Peace and many blessings,

Thomas E. Dwyer