On August 15, the second annual Friends Across Borders run took place in Douglas, AZ, and Agua Prieta, Sonora. People gathered on both sides of the border for a 5K run, to listen to elders share memories of the border from earlier times, and to celebrate at the wall with music, art, and food.
The event also included a panel discussion on the theology of migration. Participants from different faith traditions on both sides of the border shared how their faith led them to support migrants.
Without exception, each person talked about love—how God loves everyone, how everyone is a child of God, and how we all need to love one another. People also shared the importance of working in community—by supporting each other, we can also support migrants. Each person contributed their own unique perspective.
Perla del Angel, a Catholic layperson and lawyer who works closely with the migrant shelter (CAME), spoke about migrating as a child with her family from southern Mexico to Agua Prieta. She remembered how different the food was, and she now has special feelings for the children at the shelter.
Jack Knox, a retired Mennonite pastor who has volunteered at the shelter for many years, connected present-day forced migration with the forced migration of early Mennonites who were persecuted for their faith.
Bridich Saragos, the assistant director of the Migrant Resource Centre, is originally from the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. She graduated from seminary in Mexico before moving to the border. She shared that many migrants from Central America come through Chiapas, but as a child, she wasn’t aware of that.
Peggy Christiansen, who grew up in Douglas, is now a co-pastor at Douglas First Presbyterian Church. She talked about growing up in a small border town and how she just wanted to leave, which she did. But she now realises that her choice to leave freely is very different from the experience of migrants who are forced to leave their homes because of poverty or violence.
- Give thanks that people of many faiths help migrants.
- Pray for courage, strength, and patience for these people.
- Pray that all migrants find caring support on their journey.
