Culpeper community needs to come together, stop alienating each other

Pastor Habacuc Diaz Lopez
Published: May 18, 2008

Some times I get the feeling that some persons yearn for the past because they feel uneasy with the mobility and rapid changes of our county — characteristics of our post-World War II society.

Apparently they do not like living in a community with such diversity and have become intolerant and hostile toward a minority group. Their rhetoric is infested with references to the problems that foreigners – especially those from Latin American countries — are causing. Yet, to this day they have failed to demonstrate what they are expressing in words.

In spite of their claims serious studies made by renowned universities demonstrate that the benefits these newcomers provide for our country exceeds what our system is spending on them.

Fact is that, unlike what some persons expected, counties that have adopted anti-immigration laws are now struggling with some serious issues related to the implementation of those laws.

Fortunately, I live in a community where a handful of misinformed individuals have not been able to predispose my brothers and sisters against each other. It is a blessing to know that my children are growing in a place where in spite of the color of their skin they are accepted.

Contrary to what some misinformed individuals had expected, their political campaign of intolerance and predisposition has not been successful. On the contrary, it seems to me that they have produced exactly the opposite result. Now my brothers and sisters in Culpeper are fully aware of their real goal: political aspirations.

They have claimed for the past two years that foreigners are the ones responsible for all our calamities. However, the statistics I have seen simply do not bear this out. Where is the evidence of such an adverse effect caused by the presence of foreigners?

The problem, I believe, is that, contrary to what they say, the well being of our community is not their primary concern. Dear brothers and sisters, we need to remember that God, who has created humanity as a single whole, wants to gather into unity all things. God not only means much to us, we mean much to God.

Alienating patterns of relating, then, must cease (male and female, Anglo and Latino, poor and rich). We are the body of Christ and our responsibility is to be an expression of God’s kingdom on this earth.

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