“Was anyone going to say anything?”
It's a good question and a powerful call to action. Bishop Mariann Budde could not have stood out more among those we would have expected to stand for what is right. Nor could her inaugration plea have been more compelling:
“The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.”
As an organization supporting refugees resettled in the U.S. and around the world, we have grown increasingly alarmed by the calls to shut down all forms of immigration. At first this sentiment seemed to be responding to frustration over the rise in illegal border crossings, amplified by misinformation that fueled cruel campaign rhetoric. But with the refugee resettlement program suspended and mass deportations underway, the intent is clear.
Prosperity Candle is not a political organization. We are a group of like-minded citizens of different backgrounds, ethnicities, languages and faiths. What binds us together are shared values: kindness, compassion and a commitment to the common good. For over 15 years we’ve stood for these values, believing they should never be left at your doorstep on the way to work.
Today these values are under assault. More importantly, the people we work with side-by-side every day, who arrived from refugee camps after persecution and agonizing loss, who waited for years to be more vetted than anyone, who have worked hard to build a brighter future for their children and contribute in the same way immigrants have since this country’s founding – these amazing women, their families, and the refugees approved for resettlement but not yet arrived – they are all under assault.
We have listened to Bishop Budde’s call for mercy many times over because it is inspiring. She is inspiring. Budde didn’t say there isn’t a problem at the border or that immigration reform isn’t needed. She simply asked for compassion.
We believe the majority of Americans agree, and it’s time for us all to say something.
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Photo Credit: ABC News
9 comments
UMC clergy here. I’ve been buying, lighting, and gifting your candles for over a decade. Thank you for this statement. And thank you for your beautiful and compassionate work in bringing light to the world and to people’s lives.
There are so many beautiful people struggling right now and I appreciate your kind words and you’re helping hands. May God bless your compassionate, caring souls.
Thank you for your post…I am an Episcopal priest and I was so proud of her…now it’s our turn
Thank you for speaking up and for the opportunity you give to women who are finding their way through this bleak time. We will continue to fight this bigotry and hatred through kindness, compassion, and action.
Also grateful for the work Prosperity Candle does. Aren’t we all longing for compassion and mercy in our lives? How can we refuse it to others? Jeanne – ancestors were immigrants to the US in the 19th century, how can we so easily forget ?