This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

The headline in this blog was the lead on a missive from Salem Leadership Foundation (SLF) Director Sam Skillern that landed in my in-box this week.

He sought to inform SLF advocates – including me — about the status of immigration in the Salem-Keizer area, and to advocate that all of us should treat immigrants with respect.

This is, of course, different than what Donald Trump proclaimed as he ran for president.  He ran against immigrants, claiming they were all scofflaws and miscreants. 

And, in doing so, he appealed to many people in this country, even if those people had immigrant blood in their veins.

It shocked me to see how successful Trump’s strategy was.  It was a major reason why he won the presidency – and no doubt one of the ways he wants to win again.

Back to Skillern, because I don’t want to focus only on negative fanatics like Trump.  Here are excerpts of what Skillern wrote:

“The whole world is coming to Shalom, Oregon, and it’s a beautiful thing. There was a time when those of African, Asian, Polynesian and Hispanic descent were not welcome to live here (even though some did). 

“I remember in 2002 when there was a stir at the state Capitol.  Someone discovered the Oregon Constitution still contained language restricting the rights of ‘Kanakas.’  You know, Sandwich Islanders.  OK, back then I had to look it up, too – Hawaiians!  Unwelcome? 

“Even though they’d lived in the Oregon Territory since the late 1700s and were valued as skilled seamen and workers, the Kanaka joined other peoples of color on the ‘not-welcome-here’ list.”

Things have changed dramatically.

Salem for Refugees, a relatively new program that started at Salem Alliance Church where my wife and I have attended for more 30 years, carries much of the load for the change and does so in a solid, positive spirit, with the goal being “to see all refugees in Salem as valued, thriving, contributing members of our community.”

Consider these statistics:

• Among the 42,000 students in Salem-Keizer Schools, more than 80 languages are spoken.  In the past five years, more than 375 new neighbors from around the globe have settled here through Salem for Refugees. 

• So far, Salem for Refugees, on its own, has welcomed more than 360refugees to the Salem-Keizer area.  Many of them lately have come from Afghanistan and that includes several large families looking for a new life outside of a war-torn area of the world – a new life that could and should be supported by many in Salem (including my wife who has made various donations over the past weeks to help Afghans re-settle in Salem…I give her kudos for the effort).
  
  

Skillern continues:

“In light of the fact that many of the early Oregon settlers were missionaries and Christians, it’s vexing they didn’t seem to comprehend Jesus’ family tree.  Two Biblical authors – Matthew and Luke – carefully chronicle Jesus’ bloodline. 

“Luke’s genealogy takes us all the way back to Adam, establishing Jesus’ kinship with all mankind and God.  Matthew’s genealogy traces Jesus’ Jewish lineage to King David and father Abraham.   Curiously, Matthew also tells us about four non-Jewish women:  Tamar and Rahab (Caananites), Ruth (Moabite) and Bathsheba (Hittite). 

“So, in addition to meeting the messianic requirement of being from the tribe of Judah and the House of David, Jesus was also a mixed-race savior—the blood of the whole world flowed through his veins.  With Jesus, there is no such thing as a “not-welcome-here” list.”

Further, Skillern adds that “it’s interesting to note that Jesus was a Hebrew baby born in Asia and became a refugee with his folks in Africa, making him an inter-continental savior.”  

So, I ask, with Skillern, why it is that many people who call themselves Christians hate immigrants?  Consider Jesus own life.  He was “an immigrant” in many ways. 

And, immigrants are, at least potentially, “children of God,” so we should welcome them to our community, for they make life richer by their very heritage.  In this way, we, as citizens, can live like Christ would want us to live.