On the surface, welcoming an immigrant seems kind. Karen González asks Christians to look again and push deeper.
Karen González is a writer, speaker, and immigrant advocate. She is the author of The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong. In this conversation, Karen describes how her writing and theology has shifted since attending the 2019 Writing for Mystic Activists writing workshop at the Collegeville Institute. Writing can be a form of activism, and it can also be a way to live out a calling to collective liberation.
Learn more about Karen on her website »
Topics and resources discussed in this episode:
- The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong by Karen González
- Our God is Undocumented: Biblical Faith and Immigrant Justice by Ched Myers and Matthew Colwell
- Quote about what it means to be naturalized from Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- John: 1
- The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby
- Matthew 25:31-46
Bios
Karen González is a speaker, writer, and immigrant advocate who works as director of human resources for World Relief. An immigrant from Guatemala, González studied at Fuller Theological Seminary. She has worked in the nonprofit world for more than ten years and is a former public school teacher. González, who lives in Baltimore, has written about spiritual formation, Latinx identity, race, gender, the Enneagram, and immigration. Connect with her at Karen-Gonzalez.com and follow her on social media [Twitter, Instagram].
Ellie Roscher is a writer, theology teacher, and host of the Unlikely Conversations podcast. She is a board member at the Collegeville Institute and the author of 12 Tiny Things, Play Like a Girl, and How Coffee Saved My Life. Ellie holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. She lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and sons. Follow Ellie on social media at @ellieroscher [Twitter, Instagram, Facebook].
Matthew Ian Fleming edited the audio for this podcast. You can find Matthew on Instagram at @matthewianfleming and his other podcasts at www.alterguild.org.
Next Steps
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