Protesters and Prophets

Last night I went back to Aurora to support the day laborers at El Centro. Again, we held a rally outside of City Hall before the city council meeting. At first, the turn out was small, but slowly workers and religious people began to congregate. I've only been twice, but some of these folks have been coming to every city council meeting for the past couple of months. I sometimes wonder at my own ability to persist when the "newness" of an issue wears off. I admire people who continue to come and continue to struggle, even when an issue gets "old."

I lost count of how many people spoke at the meeting, but we filled the speaker podium for over an hour. Three gentlemen from the Colorado Minutemen spoke angrily about illegal aliens who break the law and deserve the despair they experience, but most of the speakers were "El Centro" volunteers, faith leaders, and day laborers themselves.

I was SO proud of the group I was with. They spoke articulately and respectfully about the plight of day laborers in the community. The clergy I am proud to call my friends quoted Amos and Isaiah. One of my bilingual friends at Iliff told the council that the name "Aurora" in Spanish means "new beginning." She asked the council members to vote against the bill that would prevent "new beginnings" for so many people. She called for a "new beginning" and new relationship between city government, local businesses, and non-profit groups like El Centro, and pleaded with them to vote against the bill and instead come to the table and talk about a solution that works for everyone. Another of my Iliff friends spoke about being a woman of faith and a mother, and she told the council she wasn't sure how she would explain this to her children.

At the end of the night, city council voted to pass the bill 7-3. El Centro and the day laborers lost.

After leaving the meeting, we stood on the steps where we had rallied a few hours before. Even though we lost, there was a good spirit in the air. I am confident that El Centro will continue to serve day laborers in Aurora, whether it is illegal or not. Hopefully, city council will reconsider their invitation to the table.

What struck me the most about the evening was the significant difference between protesters and prophets. Shane Claiborne says we have too many protesters and not enough prophets. While protesters complain, prophets point us in a better way. I am grateful for the prophets I saw speak at the City Council meeting last night.