The God Who Sees
Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong
by Karen Gonzalez
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Pub Date May 21 2019 | Archive Date May 21 2019
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Description
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Find resources for welcoming immigrants in your community and speaking out about an outdated immigration system.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.
Advance Praise
“With this stunning debut, Karen González makes her mark as one of the most talented storytellers of faith in a generation. The skill with which she weaves together personal narrative and 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
“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 González invites readers to 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
“The topic of immigration can be both confusing and contentious. Karen González helps us find our way toward a deeper understanding with a story that is deeply personal, solidly biblical, and appropriately challenging. You will find Karen an able guide to bring clarity and encourage compassion.”
SCOTT ARBEITER, PRESIDENT OF WORLD RELIEF
“In the heated debate over immigration, both sides often reduce immigrants to an abstraction. Karen González points out that the story of the immigrant is an integral part of our narrative of redemption history. Her own complex journey as an immigrant adds rich insight into our collective faith story as well as a deeper understanding of those millions who, for a multitude of reasons, still leave their homes in search of new lives. This book will convict the reader that compassion for the immigrant is not an option but a requirement for all who profess to follow Jesus.”
DEREK W. ENGDAHL, AUTHOR OF THE GREAT CHASM
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781513804125 |
| PRICE | $16.99 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 145564
In her debut book, Karen González beautifully weaves together stories from Scripture and her personal life. Her words here are sure to encourage and challenge readers to view Scripture through the lens of a God who sees and loves the immigrant, the foreigner, the refugee.
Scott Arbeiter, the president of World Relief, said this about The God Who Sees: "[It] is deeply personal, solidly biblical, and appropriately challenging. You will find Karen González an able guide to bring clarity and encourage compassion."
I agree with each and every word of that endorsement. I wish that the book were longer, and I look forward to reading more from González in the future.
Reviewer 550239
There are quite a few people who I want to throw this book at...I mean...hand it to... Using immigrants in the bible and Scripture has to say about immigration and refugees, the author makes a case for compassion and reform. A case that we ought not be having to thrust upon people who are supposedly reading the same Good Book and sitting in pews beside us. I may feel confrontational, but this book is not and should appeal to everyone regardless of preconceptions and politics.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bethany Ruth J, Reviewer
This is the book on immigration and Christianity that I have been wanting! It's challenging but deceptively simple, personal but biblical, and will appeal to Christians on both sides of the political aisle. I highly recommend this!
Educator 556360
Wow. This book left me breathless at times. I just finished it and am already considering reading it again. I have also made a list of all the people I will be buying it for when it's released. I feel that this review will be lackluster because I don't want to reveal too much - once I get started, I probably won't be able to stop!!
This book is a stunning account of immigration and creates a connection to the immigrants of the Bible: Ruth, Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, Syrophoenician Woman, and Our Refugee Savior. It truly embodies the heart of Christ through their stories but also through the modern day anecdotes. This book could work well as a Bible Study or an independent read. I believe, in most cases, it will definitely stir up some conversation in a study group! Near the end, there are questions for prayer and reflection.
The God Who Sees stirred something inside of me asking me: How am I raising my voice for immigrants? How am I protecting their vulnerability? Are my current views on immigration based on politics, the Bible, or a combination of both?
Deborah W, Reviewer
"The God Who Sees" is partly a Bible study, partly a memoir, and partly about immigration policy in the USA. In each chapter, the author first talked about a person in the Bible who was an immigrant: Ruth, Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, the Syrophoenician woman, and Christ. Since the author is an immigrant from Guatemala, she provided insight into what an immigrant faces. She told parts of her own story and stories about other modern immigrants (why they immigrated and what they faced). She talked about USA immigration policies and issues that need to be dealt with and improved. She ended with some reflection and discussion questions about immigration.
Since my sister-in-law is an immigrant from the Philippines (and is now US citizen), I'm aware of just how long, difficult, and expensive it can be for an immigrant to legally come to the USA. I would agree that immigration laws need to be reformed, and I found this book interesting and informative. I appreciate the insights that she provided to the Biblical narratives.
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