A Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Reflection from Msgr. Pope

"A priest friend of mine who immigrated to this country from Jordan back in the 1970s is often asked, 'Where are you from?' He humorously answers, 'I am from my mother’s womb.' 

"True enough! There is an even more fundamental answer, rooted in Scripture, which speaks to the origin of every human person: You are from the loving will and heart of God. Before you were ever formed in your mother's womb, God knew you and thought about you (see Jeremiah 1:5). He set into motion everything necessary to create you. He didn't just get your parents to meet, but your grandparents and great-grandparents, going all the way back. All of this so that you could exist just as you are. Having thought of you and conceived you in greatest love, He knit you together in your mother's womb. You were skillfully wrought in that secret place of the womb and you are wonderfully, fearfully made. Every one of your days was written in God's book before one of them ever came to be (See Psalm 139). 

"This biblical answer is true of every one of us. Whatever our nationality, ethnicity, or race, our truest origin is from God, from His heart and His loving 'yes' to our existence. This means that I am your brother and you are my brother or sister. . . ."

In a recent commentary as we observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on some of the recent tensions this nation has been facing regarding immigration, race, and ethnicity and on a response by Christians.

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: Where Are You from? A Reflection on Recent Tensions over Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity (14 JAN 18)