The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong - Gonzalez, Karen Review & Synopsis

Synopsis Meet people who have fled their homelands. Hagar. Joseph. Ruth. Jesus. Here is a riveting story of seeking safety in another land. Here is a gripping journey of loss, alienation, and belonging. In The God Who Sees, immigration advocate Karen Gonzalez recounts her family's migration from the instability of Guatemala to making a new life in Los Angeles and the suburbs of south Florida. In the midst of language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and the tremendous pressure to assimilate, Gonzalez encounters Christ through a campus ministry program and begins to follow him. Here, too, is the sweeping epic of immigrants and refugees in Scripture. Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, Ruth: these intrepid heroes of the faith cross borders and seek refuge. As witnesses to God's liberating power, they name the God they see at work, and they become grafted onto God's family tree. Find resources for welcoming immigrants in your community and speaking out about an outdated immigration system. Find the power of Jesus, a refugee Savior who calls us to become citizens in a country not of this world. Review Karen Gonz�lez is a speaker, writer, and immigrant advocate who works as director of human resources for World Relief. An immigrant from Guatemala, Gonz�lez studied at Fuller Theological Seminary. She has worked in the nonprofit world for more than ten years and is a former public school teacher. Gonz�lez, who lives in Baltimore, has written about spiritual formation, Latinx identity, race, gender, the Enneagram, and immigration. Her work has been published in Sojourners, Christ and Pop Culture, Faithfully Magazine, Mutuality Magazine, The Mudroom, and The Salt Collective. Connect with her at Karen-Gonzalez.com. "Karen Gonz�lez weaves together a brilliant book that illuminates how central the stories of immigrants are to the story of God. This is true not just in the Scriptures but also today, as Karen beautifully illustrates when she describes how God drew her close. Immigration is often talked about as a policy or political issue, and this book is a sorely needed reminder that immigration is a personal issue-one that can connect us all to the heart and mission of God." (Jenny Yang, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief and coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger) "With this stunning debut, Karen Gonz�lez makes her mark as one of the most talented storytellers of faith in a generation. The skill with which she weaves together personal narrative, biblical text, intimate detail, and sociopolitical analysis is as impressive as it is seamless. Every single page of this beautiful, timely book pulses with prophetic truth. It left me changed in all the best ways." (Rachel Held Evans, author of Inspired and Searching for Sunday) "We are changed by whom we read the Bible with. The God Who Sees is an invitation to read the Scriptures with the fresh eyes of Karen Gonz�lez, a theologian with a story that is relevant, heartbreaking, and always surprising. Gonz�lez deeply believes in the God who sees, and she invites her readers to discover the God who is obsessed with the immigrant. In a time of fear, The God Who Sees is a powerful testimony to what makes the good news actually good." (D. L. Mayfield, author of Assimilate or Go Home) "The God Who Sees artfully weaves theological application and immigration policy and practice, inviting the reader to engage more deeply in important justice issues of today. At a time in which numerous voices are being pushed into the immigration narrative, Karen Gonz�lez's perspectives as a theologian and Latina immigrant, straddling Guatemalan and American cultures, are both insightful and impactful. Thank you, Karen, for sharing your heart, your mind, and your voice in this book. It is a gift." (Michelle Ferrigno Warren, activist and author of The Power of Proximity) "The topic of immigration can be both confusing and contentious. Karen Gonz�lez helps us find our way toward a deeper understanding with The God Who Sees, a story that is deeply personal, solidly biblical, and appropriately challenging. You will find Karen Gonz�lez an able guide to bring clarity and encourage compassion." (Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief) "Weaving insightful reflections on the stories of immigrants in the Bible, compelling explanations of the realities facing immigrants today, and her own testimony of faith and migration, Karen Gonz�lez invites readers into a distinctly Christian approach to the complex topic of immigration. In the process, she invites us into a deeper relationship with the God who made and loves them. The God Who Sees is an important and enlightening book for our times." (Matthew Soerens, coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger and Seeking Refuge) "In this engaging book, Karen Gonz�lez skillfully weaves her narrative with the biblical narratives and insightful comments on current immigration realities. This slim volume is a helpful introduction for those who want to love their immigrant neighbors. I appreciated the action and reflection questions that end the book and offer helpful next steps." (Jude Tiersma Watson, associate professor at Fuller Theological Seminary) "What does it mean to surrender our lives to the God of the immigrant and stranger? That question feels more pressing than ever in our modern times. The God Who Sees takes us on a journey that brings us to the heart of God and shapes a new way of seeing the world. Trust the leadership of Karen Gonz�lez, an important spiritual guide for these critical conversations." (Daniel Hill, pastor and author of White Awake) "The God Who Sees is the book I have been waiting for: a Christian book on immigration, written from the perspective of a Latina theologian and ministry practitioner, that centers the voices and experiences of our Latino community. It is like refreshing water to my soul. Karen Gonz�lez stands at the vanguard of a rising generation of Latina/o Christian authors whose voices are critical for the healing of the church in America." (Robert Chao Romero, professor of Chicana/o studies at UCLA) "The God Who Sees offers the powerful combination of an immigrant experience expressed through the lens of Scripture. Nothing can be more compelling for those who claim the Christian faith. As a fellow Guatemalan American, I resonate with this book that brings to mind my own memories and their emotive power. Karen Gonz�lez's voice is gentle, yet forceful, and needs to be heard-along with those of millions of others!" (M. Daniel Carroll R., professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College and author of Christians at the Border) The God Who Sees Meet people who have fled their homelands. Hagar. Joseph. Ruth. Jesus. Here is a riveting story of seeking safety in another land. Here is a gripping journey of loss, alienation, and belonging. In The God Who Sees, immigration advocate Karen Gonzalez recounts her family’s migration from the instability of Guatemala to making a new life in Los Angeles and the suburbs of south Florida. In the midst of language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and the tremendous pressure to assimilate, Gonzalez encounters Christ through a campus ministry program and begins to follow him. Here, too, is the sweeping epic of immigrants and refugees in Scripture. Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, Ruth: these intrepid heroes of the faith cross borders and seek refuge. As witnesses to God’s liberating power, they name the God they see at work, and they become grafted onto God’s family tree. Find resources for welcoming immigrants in your community and speaking out about an outdated immigration system. Find the power of Jesus, a refugee Savior who calls us to become citizens in a country not of this world. Meet people who have fled their homelands. Hagar. Joseph. Ruth. Jesus. Here is a riveting story of seeking safety in another land. Here is a gripping journey of loss, alienation, and belonging." Beyond Welcome ★ Publishers Weekly starred review "A top-notch Christian look at immigration, humane and full of heart."--Publishers Weekly Many American Christians have good intentions, working hard to welcome immigrants with hospitality and solidarity. But how can we do that in a way that empowers our immigrant neighbors rather than pushing them to the fringes of white-dominant culture and keeping them as outsiders? That's exactly the question Karen González explores in Beyond Welcome. A Guatemalan immigrant, González draws from the Bible and her own experiences to examine why the traditional approach to immigration ministries and activism is at best incomplete and at worst harmful. By advocating for putting immigrants in the center of the conversation, González helps readers grow in discipleship and recognize themselves in their immigrant neighbors. Accessible to any Christian who is called to serve immigrants, this book equips readers to take action to dismantle white supremacy and xenophobia in the church. They will emerge with new insight into our shared humanity and need for belonging and liberation. "González brings clarity to how white supremacy and American exceptionalism play a role in our desire to be heroes of good immigrants. This book needs to be in the hands of those seeking to love immigrants and of immigrant advocates." Abuelita fe ¿Qué pasaría si algunos de nuestros más grandes teólogos no fueran considerados como tales, en absoluto? Kat Armas es una cubanoamericana de segunda generación que creció en las cercanías del famoso vecindario La Pequeña Habana de Miami. Su temprana formación teológica provino de su abuela, que huyó de Cuba durante el apogeo de los disturbios políticos y crio a sus tres hijos sola tras la muerte de su esposo. Combinando la narración personal con la reflexión bíblica, Armas nos muestra el modo en que las voces marginadas --las que a menudo son rechazadas, aisladas y oprimidas debido a su género, estatus socioeconómico o falta de educación--, tienen más que enseñarnos en cuanto a seguir a Dios que lo que nos damos cuenta. Abuelita fe cuenta la historia de teólogas anónimas e ignoradas en la sociedad y en la Biblia --madres, abuelas, hermanas e hijas-- cuya supervivencia, fuerza, resistencia y perseverancia nos enseñan el verdadero poder de la fe y el amor. La exploración de la autora en cuanto a la teología de abuelita ayudará a personas de todos los orígenes culturales y étnicos a reflexionar sobre las abuelitas en sus vidas y sus ministerios, y sobre las formas en que pueden vivir la fe de abuelita cada día. Kat Armas (magíster en Divinidades y en Teología del Seminario Teológico Fuller) es una escritora y oradora cubanoamericana, que presenta el podcast The Protagonistas, en el que destaca historias de mujeres de color comunes y corrientes, incluidas escritoras, pastoras, lideresas de iglesias y teólogas. Ha escrito para Christianity Today, Sojourners, Relevant, Christians for Biblical Equality, Fuller Youth Institute, la revista Fathom y Missio Alliance. Armas también trabaja en el proyecto Living a Better Story en el Fuller Youth Institute y habla periódicamente en conferencias sobre asuntos raciales y de justicia. Vive en Nashville, Tennessee. González , Justo L. Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective. Nashville: Abingdon, 1990. González , Karen . The God Who Sees : Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong . Harrisonburg, VA: Herald, 2019." Christian Social Ethics the complex immigration debate that is solidly grounded in Christian political thought. González , Karen J. The God Who Sees : Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong . Harrisonburg, VA: Herald Press, 2019. Written by an immigrant ..." Abuelita Faith Christianity Today 2022 Book Award Finalist (Christian Living & Discipleship) "[A] powerful debut. . . . This persuasive testament will appeal to Christians interested in the lesser-known women of the Bible."--Publishers Weekly "Armas expertly weaves her own abuelita's history of personal faith and resistance into each chapter and intersects it with biblical text, creating an approachable work."--Library Journal What if some of our greatest theologians wouldn't be considered theologians at all? Kat Armas, a second-generation Cuban American, grew up on the outskirts of Miami's famed Little Havana neighborhood. Her earliest theological formation came from her grandmother, her abuelita, who fled Cuba during the height of political unrest and raised three children alone after her husband passed away. Combining personal storytelling with biblical reflection, Armas shows us how voices on the margins--those often dismissed, isolated, and oppressed because of their gender, socioeconomic status, or lack of education--have more to teach us about following God than we realize. Abuelita Faith tells the story of unnamed and overlooked theologians in society and in the Bible--mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters--whose survival, strength, resistance, and persistence teach us the true power of faith and love. The author's exploration of abuelita theology will help people of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds reflect on the abuelitas in their lives and ministries and on ways they can live out abuelita faith every day. But She Said: Feminist Practices of Biblical Interpretation. ... In Reading the Women of the Bible : A New Interpretation of Their Stories, 24–33. ... González , Karen . The God Who Sees : Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong ." After Trump A black social gospel movement arose after the Civil War to mitigate the broken promises of reparations and the reestablishment of white supremacy. After the Gilded Age, a new social gospel arose in the early twentieth century that brought together Christian proclamation and an ethic of social justice that became liberal Protestantism’s distinctive contribution to world Christianity, leaving residues in the New Deal and the Great Society. In the face of poverty and bondage in the 1960s, Martin Luther King Jr. led a second wave of the black social gospel movement and died for it, as prophets do. It birthed new liberation movements on many fronts. Again things fell apart as the Reagan Revolution massively redistributed wealth and social benefits upward and “late capitalism” flourished. In this environment tax cuts for the wealthy and massive inequalities grew, and President Trump inherited the resentments of the Christian Right and the opportunism of economic conservatives. Would a recurring social gospel have made a difference? After Trump, American Christianity faces another crisis of decision. Will the strange God of the Bible be re-called, will the churches re-live as social movements that bring good news to all the people, will American Christianity re-contest the public square and proclaim a new social gospel for our times? This book is an invitation and a manifesto. Gonzalez , Karen . The God Who Sees : Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong . Harrisonburg, VA: Herald, 2019. Gottlieb, Roger S. Joining Hands: Politics and Religion Together for Social Change. Boulder, CO: Westview, 2004." Born Again and Again Got salvation? What if salvation is not one more thing to acquire but an invitation to radical transformation? Christians often turn life—and faith—into one big quest for the good life. We expect to “get” a good job, loving spouse, a life of comfort, personal satisfaction—oh, and salvation with a cherry on top. Our acquisitive impulses aren’t limited to lattes and designer jeans; Christians in power throughout history have focused on getting people saved, possessing the land, and gaining dominance in government. But what if Christianity isn’t about striving for something more, but about renouncing the power and privilege that prevent us from receiving God’s abundant life? What if we are called not to treat salvation as one more thing to pursue but as an invitation to conform to Christ? Born Again and Again is the story of how a religion birthed on the margins of the Roman Empire became functionally the official religion of today’s largest military superpower. Pastor and blogger Megan K. Westra takes on the self-serving form of Christianity that has birthed the doctrine of discovery, planet-killing lifestyles, and civil religion. She leads readers into an encounter with the Jesus who gave up everything to come to us and invites us to give up everything to come to him. Conforming to Christ radically reorients our lives, priorities, and faith away from the pursuit of our own interests and toward a pattern of discipleship, setting us free from fear-based consumption and creating new possibilities for connection and belonging within the community of God’s people. Megan Westra's masterful biblical and theological work unravels and uproots the vision of salvation as merely ... Karen González , author of The God Who Sees : Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong “Born Again and Again nails ..." Recovering Racists "It is a rare thing for me to stand with a book, explicitly about race and equity, that is written by a white person. Why? Because it is a rare thing to encounter a white person who has followed the lead of people of color into their own transformation so deeply that I trust the message coming from their white body. Idelette McVicker has done the work."--Lisa Sharon Harper (from the foreword) As a white Afrikaner woman growing up in South Africa during apartheid, Idelette McVicker was steeped in a community and a church that reinforced racism and shielded her from seeing her neighbors' oppression. But a series of circumstances led her to begin questioning everything she thought was true about her identity, her country, and her faith. Recovering Racists shares McVicker's journey over thirty years and across three continents to shatter the lies of white supremacy embedded deep within her soul. She helps us realize that grappling with the legacy of white supremacy and recovering from racism is lifelong work that requires both inner transformation and societal change. It is for those of us who have hit rock bottom in the human story of race, says McVicker. We must acknowledge our internalized racism, repent of our complicity, and learn new ways of being human. This book invites us on the long, slow journey of healing the past, making things right, changing old stories, and becoming human together. As we work for the liberation of everyone, we also find liberation for ourselves. Each chapter ends with discussion questions. - KAREN GONZÁLEZ , immigration advocate and author of The God Who Sees : Immigrants , the Bible , and the Journey to Belong " McVicker's honest grappling with whiteness makes way for us all to lean in and learn from someone who has done ..." Deserted What would the earliest stories of the Bible be like without an angry God smiting humans with floods, fire, frogs, and brimstone? They might become the story of a mother surviving a snake bite and a dangerous pregnancy. Architects and dreamers building towers and boats to save themselves from the harsh desert. A doctor who obsessively cleans. Young gay lovers seeking refuge in the sanctuary cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Estranged brothers planning ten terrorist attacks to free their people from slavery. Without an angry God, the Bible might become a fictional collection of stories about deeply human men, women, and children from a small nomadic tribe deserted in an ancient Hebrew desert. “Roberts' reimagining of these well-known Biblical stories is nothing short of masterful. ... — Karen Gonzalez author of The God Who Sees : Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong “Deserted's reimagining of classic Bible stories ..." On Love and Mercy A hopeful and Christ-centered devotional for Christians who know social justice to be a good and holy endeavor On Love and Mercy is a 60-day devotional that invites readers to expand their vision of both personal faith in God and the redemptive and saving work of social action. Breaking down the premise that Christians must choose between being either socially conscious or theologically sound, author Stephen Mattson offers the hopeful message that Jesus—and Christianity—is both. Each day’s entry offers Christians who long to see justice and equity within society with a much-needed source of affirmation, solidarity, and encouragement. These heart-felt devotions bring readers hope and encouragement to embrace social justice as the Christ-like discipline that it always was and is meant to be. On Love and Mercy validates social justice practices within the Christian faith by centering the example of Jesus as the ultimate standard. Although our religion will fail us, Jesus never will. He walks alongside us in living out God’s commands us to love our neighbors to the best of our ability. Step into this journey and discover anew what it means to be devoted to Jesus and justice. — KAREN GONZÁLEZ , immigration advocate and author of The God Who Sees : Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong “Stephen Mattson has been an important voice for social justice. His writing continues to inspire Christians to ..." Fearing Bravely Jesus commands us to love our neighbors. So why are so many Christians taught to fear their neighbors? The American church is known as a people who are afraid, who have been nurtured through fear into hatred, and who have moved from hatred to violence--or at least to neglect. This fear, too often lived out boldly in the name of Jesus, is a false religion. God instructs us to welcome strangers. We are not to withhold hospitality or help from anyone in need. So why do we fear strangers, especially those needing hospitality, afraid that their presence may threaten what we have? Jesus taught us to love our enemies. We are to pray for those who actively harm us. Instead, we create enemies in our minds, seeing anyone who thinks, believes, looks, or lives differently from us as dangerous, a threat to our way of living. The Christian community exists to declare and demonstrate God's love and to follow Jesus in practicing love over fear, even in unsafe times and places. It's time to reclaim our brave fear of God and risk transformative love for the sake of our neighbors, the strangers among us, and our enemies. We are people of the Kingdom. Fearing Bravely teaches us that we have nothing to fear. Instead, we can respond to our fear problem with a brave love that emerges from choosing to let our fear of God overcome our fear of everything else. Catherine McNiel writes with conviction, wisely guiding us to recognize our fear and, with God's help, not let it limit us to love courageously all who are among us. ... challenged to love extravagantly as you dive into Fearing Bravely. Karen González author of The God Who Sees : Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong A NOTE TO THE READER Dear Reader, I wrote this xvii Foreword." The Defiant Middle For every woman, from the young to those in midlife and beyond, who has ever been told, "You can't" and thought, "Oh, I definitely will!"--this book is for you. Women are expected to be many things. They should be young enough, but not too young; old enough, but not too old; creative, but not crazy; passionate, but not angry. They should be fertile and feminine and self-reliant, not barren or butch or solitary. Women, in other words, are caught between social expectations and a much more complicated reality. Women who don't fit in, whether during life transitions or because of changes in their body, mind, or gender identity, are carving out new ways of being in and remaking the world. But this is nothing new: they have been doing so for thousands of years, often at the margins of the same religious traditions and cultures that created these limited ways of being for women in the first place. In The Defiant Middle, Kaya Oakes draws on the wisdom of women mystics and explores how transitional eras or living in marginalized female identities can be both spiritually challenging and wonderfully freeing, ultimately resulting in a reinvented way of seeing the world and changing it. "Change, after all," Oakes writes, "always comes from the margins." — Karen González , author of The God Who Sees : Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong “With razor- sharp wit Kaya Oakes cuts to ribbons the last shreds of patriarchy and makes more room for all women to inhabit the spiritual, ..." Calling in Context Is the concept of calling universal? God calls all people, yes—but calling is not a monolithic concept. This path-breaking book helps Christians in the United States see how social location shapes assumptions and experiences with vocation, critically examining the cultural priorities of vocation that emphasize certainty, career paths, and personal achievement. For reflections on Scripture expressing the experience and concerns of distinctive communities in the United States, see Karen González , The God Who Sees : Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong (Harrisonburg, VA: Herald Press, ..." Beginning with Moses and all the prophets Festschrift in honor of Arie de Kuiper, a Dutch theologian in Indonesia. Festschrift in honor of Arie de Kuiper, a Dutch theologian in Indonesia." Puing-Puing Kehidupan Indonesian version of The Remains of The Day Manusia memang tak pernah merindukan sesuatu sebelum dia kehilangan. Dan Begitulah Stevens. Puluhan tahun lamanya dia mengabdi sebagai kepala pelayan di Darlington Hall, seluruh jiwana didedikasikan demi profesinya. Cita-citanya menjadi seorang kepala pelayan yang sukses, yang bermartabat, yang luar biasa, telah dia raih. Dan dia bangga meraihnya. Yang tidak disadari olehnya, begitu banyak hal yang telah dia korbankan, salah satunya adalah Miss Kenton, seorang gadis menawan yang begitu cerdas dan cermat. Gadis yang dulu menjadi staffnya, ternyata mencintainya. Dalam perjalanan mengelilingi pedesaan Inggris yang dilakukannya kali ini, barulah dipahami oleh Stevens, bahwa ternyata dia pun mencintainya. Namun bertahun-tahun telah berlalu sejak itu. Miss Kenton memang menulis surat kepadanya. Mereka memang akan bertemu. Tetapi akankah ada kesempatan kedua bagi Stevens? *** "Patut dirayakan...Gambaran yang menyeluruh dan sangat meyakinkan tentang kehidupan manusia yang terurai perlahan di depan mata ini begitu ........., terkadang lucu, absurd, dan yang jelas sangat menyentuh." Sunday Times "Mimpi sebuah buku: komedi tingkah laku yang secara magis mewujud dalam pembelajaran menawan tentang kepribadian, kelas, dan budaya." New York Times Book Review [Mizan, Hikmah, Novel, Inspirasi, Indonesia] Indonesian version of The Remains of The Day Manusia memang tak pernah merindukan sesuatu sebelum dia kehilangan." Dia Melihatmu Selagi Kau Tidur "Sterling Brooks finds himself in Manhattan, at the skating rink in Rockefeller Center. Among the skaters is a heartbroken seven-year-old named Marissa, and as Sterling soon realizes, it is she he has been sent to help. Marissa's sadness comes from her separation from the father she adores, a talented young singer, and her sparkling grandmother, owner of a popular restaurant. Both have been forced into the Witness Protection Program because two mobsters, the Badgett brothers, have put a price on their heads to prevent their testifying against them in an arson case." "Sterling, able to move back and fourth in time and place, masterminds a plan to eliminate the threat from the Badgett brothers and reunite Marissa with her loved ones." "Sterling Brooks finds himself in Manhattan, at the skating rink in Rockefeller Center."