The Immigrant's Creed (Rev. José Luis Casal)

 While in no way intended to replace our Apostle’s Creed, this re-imagined version of the Credo, a statement of beliefs from the perspective of the immigrant, may offer food for thought:

I believe in Almighty God,

who guided the people in exile

and in exodus,

the God of Jospeh in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon,

the God of foreigners and immigrants.

           

I believe in Jesus Christ,

a displaced Galilean,

who was borne away from his people and his home,

who fled his country with his parents

when his life was in danger.

When he returned to his own country

he suffered under the oppression of Pontius Pilate,

the servant of a foreign power.

           

Jesus was persecuted, beaten, tortured,

and unjustly condemned to death.

But on the third day Jesus rose from the dead,

not as a scorned foreigner,

but to offer us citizenship in God’s kingdom.

           

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the eternal immigrant

from God’s kingdom among us,

who speaks all languages,

lives in all countries,

and reunites all races.

           

I believe that the Church

is the secure home for foreigners and all believers.

I believe that the communion of saints begins

when we embrace all of God’s people, in all their diversity.

I believe in forgiveness,

which makes us all equal before God,

and in reconciliation,

which heals our brokenness.

I believe that in the Resurrection

God will unite us as one people,

in which all are distinct

and all are alike at the same time.

I believe in life eternal,

in which no one will be a foreigner

but all will be citizens of the kingdom

where God reigns forever and ever. 

Amen.

--The Immigrant’s Creed, 

by Rev. José Luis Casal, 

Director of the Presbyterian World Mission.  

He is an immigrant to the USA from Cuba. 

Image source:  Kelly Latimore, Refugees – La Sagrada Familia, available for purchase at:  https://kelly-latimore.pixels.com/featured/refugees-la-sagrada-familia-kelly-latimore.html?product=framed-print