As women & children, young men and boys make their way north in the migrant caravan, another Global Immersion crew just went south to listen, learn, train, and walk in solidarity. What we learned is changing my life.

We met with a border patrol agent who refused to use dehumanizing language, regrets the unjust policies that she must enforce, and longs for more just & humanizing policy.

We met with immigrant justice advocates who reminded us of the power of uncommon friendships and that relationships take years.

We were challenged by a Mexican theologian to consider how, in the name of an illegitimate Jesus, we are refusing the Jesus who is found among the migrant caravan.

We met with bi-national neighborhood organizers who pushed us to examine our interior walls so that we can better understand and then dismantle the physical walls in our world.

We met with migrant psychologists working with our relatives on the move who revealed that behind every single migrant, without exception, there is a story of severe trauma.

We met with political refugees hoping to seek asylum in the U.S. for opposing corrupt politicians and who were told that if they continued, they would die.

We met women with their babies, every one of them recently widowed, from previous caravans who are still waiting in line to present themselves for asylum and who have no plan if they can’t get in.

We were challenged by a Mexican peacemaking urban farmer to consider our relationship with power and to determine if are using it to consume or to bring about new life.

We met with a Dreamer who demanded that we expand our discipleship from leaning “about” to learning “from” and urged us to stop talking at and start showing up.

We met with a faith-based legal advocate who helped us understand how at risk our migrant neighbors, documented and undocumented, are.

As we listened, and walked, and shared tables, and exchanged stories, we were found and formed by God.

Friends. In these polarizing, violent times, may we daily choose to move beyond partisan allegiances and into the lives of one another. May we reject dehumanizing language and convenient untruths. May we pursue solidarity with the foreigner, not merely because it’s a good idea, but because it’s the very best expression of our faith. In so doing, we will find ourselves joining God in remaking the world.