By Eric Gabourel (PCPF Coordinator in San Francisco, CA)

Holy frustration loomed in churches throughout the U.S. recently as HR 4437 was considered for legislation in the senate. Clergy took to the streets in protest of the bill that would criminalize clergy and the undocumented workers to which they minister. While many in the American populace are pointing slanderous fingers at undocumented Latin American workers, few are asking why these persons immigrated to the United States to begin with.

It should first be noted that much of the western United States was once Mexico. After the Mexican-American war (1844-48) Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo surrendering northern Mexico to the U.S., which consisted of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. Beyond the United States relationship to Mexico is its broader relationship with Latin America as a whole. Current U.S. foreign policy is hostile toward certain entities that seek to mobilize the poor and achieve human rights for workers, secular or sacred.

More recently the passage of NAFTA and CAFTA has lead to the loss of many agricultural jobs and a boom in manufacturing jobs in the "maquiladoras." These free trade agreements have also had a huge effect on jobs in the United States. From 2000 to 2003, three million manufacturing jobs have been moved from the United States to Mexico and Central America. The effects of labor arbitrage are still being felt as millions of jobs are still being outsourced so multinational corporations can maximize profit. Joblessness in the fields and ungenerous wages in the factories of Latin America have driven millions of despaired workers to the United States in search of a better life. This is the socio-economic context, which motivates immigrants.  

These events have led the church to a crucial hour in its prophetic witness of Jesus Christ. Pentecostals can no longer ignore the vigilante Minute Men on the border nor the xenophobia that permeates our society. Jesus humbly  states that, " I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me" (Matthew 25:43-45). In keeping abreast with our restorationist views, Pentecostals must never forget that the voice of justice was clearly heard in the Apostolic age. A clear example is the Apostle James' condemnation of the rich in putting profit margins before peoples rights (James 5: 1-6).

North American Pentecostals have a peculiar relationship with Latin America, being that Pentecostalism is the fastest growing religion in the region. Our charity driven mission trips are not enough; we must strive for systemic change in solidarity with our Latin American brothers and sisters.   As we celebrate the centennial of the Azusa Street outpouring, we commemorate a Holy Spirit awakening that brought a bond of unity between African-Americans and European-Americas. With much enthusiasm Azuza Street historian and Pentecostal pacifist Frank Bartleman declared that the color lines were washed away by the blood of the Lamb. Let us also remember that there were Latin Americans in that blessed fellowship as well. Therefore, let it be further stated that the border was also washed away in the blood!

As Jesus shaped, Holy Spirit empowered peacemakers let our pacifism be aggressive culminating into a revolutionary nonviolence. To be a pacifist simply on moral grounds is hypocritical as the polarization of the rich and the poor is ever widening.  Our peace-filled position must be rooted in spirituality, but must emerge into a method of confrontation that will leave behind the reign of God in its wake. Early Pentecostal leader Arthur Sydney Booth-Clibborn stated in his treatise against war Blood Against Blood (1914) that, "Every Christian is a Seer." In the spirit of our rich prophetic tradition, may we Pentecostals be on the forefront of this new Civil Rights movement. May we not only be active on International Workers Day (May 1, 2006), but let us stand in solidarity and struggle with the least of these in public debate of free trade, amnesty for all workers, the demilitarization of the border, and civil rights for all!