La Misma Luna
Laurel and I saw a fantastic movie last night, under the same moon. It portrays the struggle of an illegal immigrant mom trying to make her way in LA while her son is still in Mexico.
I appreciated that it increased my compassion for immigrants. It made me want to listen to their stories, to look for ways to help them find work, to be patient, to admire them for their courage.
I am far from doing any of this. I have a long way to go. But the sojourner in our midst has a special spot in the heart of God. I want to know that part of God’s heart.
October 15, 2009 @ 12:30 pm
Agreed! I saw that movie too. I agree…that little kid is funny.
Our friends who have immigrated have such beautiful, sad, uplifting, courageous, and interesting stories. The topic of immigration is so important and so complicated. I can’t wait for our church to grow in awareness, love, and action on all things immigration!
October 15, 2009 @ 1:35 pm
Thanks for the recommendation, I’ve added it to my Netflix queue.
I experience some degree of tension about this issue, both wanting to welcome the sojourner and also concerned about respecting the rule of law. There is a very real concern about “moral hazard.” That is, if we reward those who break the law with a fast track to legalized status, do we not encourage more people to enter the country illegally? I have a long way to go, too.
Kudos to Josh for calling us to grow in awareness, love and action for many of our neighbors. I look forward to watching the film.
October 16, 2009 @ 3:06 am
That seems a great antidote to your crumpled car hood today, David! A welcome change of perspective, I am guessing? I have heard this movie recommendation before—time to hunt it down… I am grateful for anything that can cut to the heart of God’s love for the hired hands and sojourners among us. It’s crystal clear that God loves them, along with the orphans and widows, and that he has great joy in store for those who serve them… Let’s go!
October 16, 2009 @ 9:28 am
An encouraging thread, David!
November 18, 2009 @ 9:48 am
Okay, finally sat down and watched “La Misma Luna” – that little guy deserved an Oscar nomination. It was a cute story, but I had trouble identifying with the mother’s choice to move to LA and leave her son behind. Even though the movie clearly displayed the mother as loving and missing her son, it seems like the right thing to do would have been to stay in Mexico with him. The film reinforced that being with family was more important than material goods, but the characters had chosen to be apart.