As Kentucky people of faith, we strongly encourage our Kentucky legislators to continue their active leadership towards passing compassionate and just immigration reform legislation.
We come together with a unified voice, inspired by our faith and moral commitment, to call for urgently needed immigration reform that honors the biblical values of compassion, justice, and hospitality.
Why is this important?
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”
– Jesus (Matthew 25:35)
Dear Kentucky Legislators,
As our nation debates immigration reform, our faith compels us to advocate on behalf of the immigrants who are part of our churches and our communities.
When we open our Bibles, we read of God’s special concern for the immigrant (Deut.10:18, Psalm 146:9), and we take to heart the command to take special care of the immigrant, particularly as we ourselves are people with an immigrant history (Lev. 19:33-34, Ex. 23:9).
When we look up from our Bibles, we see how immigrants—including many who are presently undocumented—are integral parts of our faith, school, and work communities. Together, we are neighbors and children of God. When one of us suffers, we all suffer (1 Cor. 12:26).
Together, undocumented immigrants in Kentucky and their allies, want to create opportunities for all to be right with the law, embrace the responsibilities of citizenship and preserve their families.
Presently, the law provides no avenue for this vision of compassion, justice, and hospitality to be possible.
For these reasons, we urge you to support reforms to our nation’s immigration laws that meet these principles. As we are called to do, we pray for "kings and all those in authority" (1 Tim. 2:2), including you, our legislators in Kentucky, who have the opportunity to do the right thing. As you work on immigration reform, know that you have our support and our prayers to make the best decision possible for our brothers and sisters in Kentucky and the nation.
We will be working to further educate and mobilize Kentucky’s congregations and faith leaders (your constituents) around this pressing issue. Toward that end, we invite you to join with people of faith across Kentucky who are taking the “I Was a Stranger…” challenge, which takes its name directly from Matthew 25:35, where Jesus says that by welcoming a stranger, we may be welcoming Him. Dive into Scripture by reading a short passage of Scripture each day for 40 consecutive days that speaks to God’s heart for immigrants and to pray for the immigrants in their community. See for yourself what God has to say on this issue, and open your heart and mind to seeing how these Scriptures speak to you.
Thank you for your service to Kentucky and for taking the time to consider steps to preserve Kentucky’s families, communities, and moral commitment to the dignity of each person.
Respectfully,
Kentucky People of Faith
Kentucky for Immigration Reform
