'I was a stranger and you welcomed me.' Jesus' words in Matthew are disarmingly simple, yet they encapsulate a core tenet of Christianity: radical inclusion. Jesus calls us to extend that same kind of hospitality to the strangers among us. Two of our writers apply this message to the thorny issue of immigration, a topic that engenders passion from folks on all sides. Ched Myers provides a thought-provoking biblical reflection on welcoming the outsider, and Helene Slessarev-Jamir evaluates current policies and legislation aimed at immigration reform. Each writer, by the way, brings to the issue the perspective of being married to a foreign-born spouse.
Abortion is another topic on which political rhetoric tends to mask much of the real, substantive work being accomplished. Amy Sullivan goes beyond the standard for-and-against arguments to find promising developments among groups working to reduce the number of abortions in the United States. In CultureWatch, Hollywood insider Donovan Jacobs heads behind the screens to look at why films and television shows rarely depict characters who are poor.
And since we always need a laugh during tax season (actually, welll laugh any time), be sure to check out Ed Spivey's H'rumphs column on the back page. We're happy to report that one of his columns, '80 in a 55 Zone,' recently was honored in the Independent Press Association's first annual humor awards in San Francisco. Ed has kept us laughing for more than 30 years, and his humor has brought others into the fold. What a way to welcome.
The Editors
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