A Prayer for the Immigrant--Prayer Vigil at APU

On April 23, 2009 students from the Latin American Student Association (LASA) at Azusa Pacific University held a prayer vigil to bring attention to the situation of some immigrants to the United States.



Visitors to the vigil were handed cards with pictures of immigrants whose stories they could follow visually and with words that explain how people decide to migrate, how the travel and cross borders and both the successes and failures they find in a new country.





This prayer for the immigrant is written by and offered by the students of LASA. To read this prayer in Spanish, click here.

God of Cultures, we pray for the millions of immigrants who are living around the world in countries that may be hostile "strangers." Teach us to look beyond the borders of the nation and city in which we live.

God of the Poor, we pray that immigrant families and especially children who have restricted access to shelter, food, health care, and education would cease to be marginalized by the systems in which they live and instead be treated with dignity. We pray that they would be provided with covering shelter, nourishing food, sustaining health, and a nurturing education.

We pray for those who were born in the United States whose thoughts and actions may be fueled by racist and ethnocentric attitudes towards those who were born elsewhere. We pray for the abolition of individual and institutional racism.

We pray for those who live in constant fear of deportation and separation from their family. We pray that families would be able to remain together.

We pray that you would help us remember that all people possess inherent human dignity as your children, made in your image, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, socio-economic status, or legal status; in the undocumented sister and brother, let us see your Spirit, O Lord.

Help us not forget that you were an immigrant; that your family fled to Egypt when you were a child to escape Herod’s decree to kill every infant boy.

God, help us see you in the eyes of the migrant and to recognize your presence amongst the oppressed.

Amen

Oración para el inmigrante

Oración para el inmigrante

Dios de las culturas, oramos por los millones de inmigrantes quienes viven alrededor del mundo en países extranjeros y hostiles. Enséñanos a ver mas allá de las fronteras de nuestra nación y de la cuidad en la que vivimos.

Dios de los pobres, oramos por las familias inmigrantes y en especial por los niños que tienen acceso restringido a un hogar, comida, cuidado medico y educación, que cesen de ser marginados por los sistemas en los que viven y que puedan vivir en dignidad. Oramos por que se les provea con un hogar que los cubra, comida que los nutria, salud que sostenga y educación que los libere.

Oramos por todos esos nacidos en los Estados Unidos cuyos pensamientos y acciones pueden ser motivados por las actitudes racistas y etnocentristas en contra de aquellos que han nacido en otras tierras. Oramos por la abolición del racismo en todas sus formas.

Oramos por todos aquellos que viven en el miedo constante de ser deportados y separados de sus familias. Oramos por que estas familias sigan unidas tal y como lo mandas tu.

Oramos por que nos recuerdes que todo ser humano posee el derecho a vivir una vida digna como tus hijos, en imagen y semejanza a ti, sin importar su raza, etnia, genero, edad, estatus económico o estatus legal; en el hermano y hermana indocumentado, déjanos ver tu Espíritu, o Dios.

Ayúdanos a no olvidar que tú fuiste un inmigrante; tu familia huyo de Egipto cuando aun eras un niño para escapar el reglamento de Herodes de matar a cada varón primogénito.

Dios, ayúdanos a verte a ti en los ojos del migrante y reconocer tu presencia en medio de los oprimidos. Ayúdanos a reconocer las manos del opresor, que oprime cuando decidimos mantenernos en silencio.

Amen

From my friends, students at APU: Matthew, Rod, Jonathan