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January 24-31, 2007

Who gets it?

Warm-up Question:

Do you know any recent immigrants?

 

France is gearing up for a presidential election later this year. The first round of voting will be in late April and the second round will be in early May. Recently, the UMP (the current governing party) nominated Nicolas Sarkozy to face off against the candidate of the Socialist Party, Segolene Royal. Mr. Sarkozy is expected to make immigration and social services major focuses of the campaign and vote. See this article for details on his nomination acceptance speech: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/world/europe/15sarkozy.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

France, as is the case with many countries, faces major questions about immigration, about integrating immigrants into society, and about providing social services like welfare, health care, and education to immigrant populations that are, for the most part, poor and in need of services. Many of the immigrants that come to France are Muslims from France’s former colonies in North Africa, so the issues of culture and integration are even greater and more complex. In 2005, France experienced weeks of rioting by mostly young immigrants who were upset by a lack of jobs and opportunities.

Mr. Sarkozy, and many others, believes that France’s very generous social welfare system of providing extensive unemployment and other benefits is bad for the country—non-immigrants and immigrants alike. He has said that the system encourages people not to work and that immigrants, especially, need to be pressed to become more integrated into society, learning French, and getting jobs. Immigration and social services are sure to play a big role in the French election this year and our own election next year.

 

Discussion Questions

  1. Do you think that immigrants should be required to learn the language of the place they are living? What are the pros and cons of such a requirement?
  2. Do you think that unemployment benefits and healthcare encourage people not to find jobs? Why are people unemployed? Name as many reasons or causes as you can.
  3. Should immigrants get the same social services as native citizens? Does it change your answer whether the immigrants are legal or illegal? Why or why not?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, January 28, 2007.
(Text links are to oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalm 71:1-6
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Luke 4:21-30

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection
In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus is rejected by his hometown congregation. He reminds the people that prophets are never accepted in their own hometown and that God seems to prefer to work with “outsiders.” He reminds the people that God sent Elijah to a foreign widow in the time of famine, even though there were plenty of widows available in Israel. And that Elisha could have healed one of the hundreds of lepers in Israel, but instead healed a Syrian named Naaman.

Jesus’ experience of being rejected by his hometown congregation reminds us that home is sometimes not all it’s cracked up to be. Our family and the people who know us the best are sometimes not the people who appreciate us the most or provide for us the most. Sometimes we need to encounter other new people, even foreign people, to really see and experience God’s presence and love.

Discussion Questions

  1. Who do you think understands you the best? Your family? Your friend you’ve had the longest?
  2. Describe an experience you’ve had of being helped by someone you didn’t know. What was your reaction? What was it like to accept help from a stranger?
  3. If Jesus met an immigrant who needed medical help, what do you think he would do?
  4. Why do you think strangers, the sick, the poor or rejected seem so important to God?

Activity Suggestions

  • Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is an ministry that provides support and advocacy for immigrants and refugees. Join their email prayer network at http://www.lirs.org/Prayer/Index.asp and you will get periodic emails that ask you to pray for specific people and situations.
     
  • Tell the story of your own family and ancestors.
    • Where did family or ancestors come from originally? When did they immigrate to the United States and under what conditions (e.g., war, escaping persecution or oppression, looking for work, hopes for opportunity, political reasons, seeking freedom)?
    • What language did they speak? 
    • Does your family, including relatives, hold on to any cultural traditions, stories, languages, or connections to family members in your country(s) of origin? Describe them. Why have they seemed important or significant for your family?
    • What do appreciate, feel proud of, or consider important top remember when it comes to your own history, heritage, and culture?

  Closing Prayer
God, open our hearts to hear your message, even when it comes from surprising places and people. Help us to provide support and encouragement to those who need it most in our world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
 

Contributed by Pastor Seth Moland-Kovash
All Saints Lutheran Church
Palatine, IL
 

Permission to reproduce for local use. Copyright © 2007 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. ELCA Youth Ministries. 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2447. To offer your comments or responses to Faith Lens, e-mail:  rod.boriack@elca.org.

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