Dear friends,
When I was a child, I hated soup– hated it. As a kid, I’d inform my mother that whoever invented soup was clearly out to ruin my life (yeah, I was a bit dramatic as a kid and now as an adult). My mother would snap back, “Francis, do you know how lucky you are? Kids are starving in Africa who would love to have your soup.”
There are kids starving in Africa. That seemed to be the default response of adults when they were trying to convince us to eat something healthy. I didn’t know the kids in Africa– I felt bad for them in a general sense, but it never felt personal.
We are entering the very personal season of Thanksgiving. The origins of Thanksgiving are fascinating. Abraham Lincoln established the Thanksgiving holiday in 1863– right in the middle of the Civil War. His thinking was that a national celebration of gratitude would help to foster unity. The roots of Thanksgiving extend back to 1621, when the Pilgrims shared a harvest celebration with the Wampanoags during their first successful growing season in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Wampanoags had shared their agricultural knowledge, helping the Pilgrims survive after their first brutal winter in the “New World”.
I am struck that a uniquely American holiday is advancing a vision where the residents of the “New World” (the Wampanoags) are welcoming the new immigrants (the Pilgrims). Abraham Lincoln leveraged this vision for a new America that was torn by civil war– an America founded in unity and hope. Sound familiar?
When I think of my mother, soup, and the starving kids in Africa, the emotional dissonance for me was anonymity– the starving kids in Africa were not my neighbors.
As you read this newsletter, you will be reading about your neighbors. And like the Wamponoags, you will be facing a choice: Will you allow your immigrant neighbor to starve in the winter, or will you provide compassion and support? Our Emergency Assistance Campaign is a powerful way to support your immigrant neighbors in providing essential food, housing, and financial assistance.
Please make a very personal decision to love your neighbor. There is no higher calling.
In solidarity,
