When our church was asked to provide transitional housing for transgender women recently granted asylum or temporary release, my initial thought was: “We just might be able to do it.” We already decided to use our building’s adjacent apartment to host asylum candidates released from the Cibola Detention Center, 80 miles west of Albuquerque.  Our first guest, Ezekiel (not his real name), was from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC government killed his father for speaking out against corruption. Ezekiel, a Christian rock artist back home, walked with a limp because the government tortured him in response to his outspokenness. His arduous journey from Africa took him to South America, and then north through Central America, before turning himself in to U.S. border patrol agents at the border in Mexico. The United States granted him asylum.  Ezekiel stayed with our congregation for 10 days. The congregation showered him with gifts and love and Ezekiel expressed his gratitude. … [Read more...]

On her last Sunday morning with our congregation, Sasha stood before us resplendent in a lovely dress and a new haircut. Even as her voice quivered and farewell tears slipped down her face, she presented herself with a poise and outer joy that came with the anticipation of starting over elsewhere. Finally, Sasha was free to be herself. Sasha had shown up at church a year earlier. She took her place in the pews alongside the teachers, bankers, plumbers, lawyers, short order cooks, shift workers and retirees who make up our varied congregation. She enthusiastically joined the church and our adult Sunday school class, offering meaningful insights, the wisdom of life and impressive biblical literacy. A banker with international responsibilities, she even led a class on Hinduism based on the knowledge she’d gained on regular business trips and long stays in India. The congregation embraced and respected her. One day, she called to make an appointment with me. She had something … [Read more...]