Migration is at the core of many of our sacred stories. Abraham and Sarah venture out with nothing but a promise; Jesus begins his life as a refugee hiding from Herod; the Hajj re-enacts the Prophet Muhammad’s journey to Mecca; and the path to enlightenment for Prince Siddharta begins with a journey of discovery throughout his kingdom. Part of the sustaining power of these religious narratives is drawn from the fact that they speak profoundly to our own stories of change—migrations across national or physical boundaries or beyond personal boundaries of belief and experience. Can these sacred scriptures provide a more life giving way to guide our conversation about immigration and our engagement with a world on the move?
You are invited to hear PSR President Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy preach at Claremont United Church of Christ. The title of his sermon is “Daughters of the Revolution” with Exodus 2:1–11; he will be preaching at both the 8:15 a.m and 10:00 a.m. services. Also, you are invited to join him at 5:00 p.m. for a public lecture titled Faith On the Move.
Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy serves as President of Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California—a progressive, multi-denominational seminary and center for social justice that prepares theologically and spiritually rooted leaders to work for the well-being of all. A committed pastor, a nationally recognized immigration leader, and a sought after speaker, Vásquez-Levy leads at the intersection of faith, higher education, and social change. Vásquez-Levy regularly contributes a faith perspective to the national conversation on immigration, including speaking at a congressional briefing and participating in two immigration consultations at the White House. He is currently engaged in a series of public conversation with various states’ attorneys general across the country in an effort to reframe our national conversation about immigration.
He has worked on consulted on a number of documentaries on immigration, labor, and human rights and is the author of various publications that explore migration stories in sacred texts and in people’s lives. He has lived in four countries, including working on a refugee resettlement in Canada, and taught courses and led international study and service trips around the globe. Vásquez-Levy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Texas Lutheran University and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, including studies at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Germany.