The Dream Act

1 Chronicles 16:23-24

23 "Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

24 "Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples."
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Over the past year, Illinos Senator Dick Durbin (D) and Utah Senator Orin Hatch (R) have championed a bipartisan bill that they believe would create a path toward citizenship for children of parents who've entered the country illegally. The "Dream Act" outlines a six year long pathway for qualifying, undocumented children, most of whom had no choice whether to come here or not, to become U.S. citizens if they complete the requirements toward a four year college degree or military service.

I would consider myself somewhat conservative when it comes to many political issues, including immigration policy. However, this bill hopes to fix at least one aspect of an already broken, fragmented policy: the dream of thousands of children who had no other choice than to follow their families illegally into the United States. According to Nick, a comment editor on the bill's web portal, nearly 65,000 children of the hundreds of thousands of high school seniors who graduate each year do not realize the same dreams that most graduates envision for themselves because of their illegal status. I personally know children who have either graduated from high school or are near graduation who are affected by this. I believe that the intention of this bill is a good one; one that extends grace, places no limits on responsible governance and regulation, and grants opportunity to hardworking students with long-term dreams. Repair the loophole of identity theft, and its potential to fuel fear of "terror;" and this bill (law) will be even better.

To those of us who are believers, disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are commanded to fulfill the great commission; to make disciples through the gospel of our God. This is part of our identity as strangers who were invited into an eternal citizenship, one "where moths and rust do not destroy, nor thieves break in and steal." We should be asking questions like, "How does immigration policy in our country impact the kingdom of God?" Agree or disagree, in a post-modern world where urban communities are becoming more diverse and multicultural, we should engage in the issues that I believe God wants His own to also address: in truth and in love. In doing so responsibly, biblically, and joyfully, we in turn invite friendship and dialogue from a dying, broken world in need of redemption.