By Rev. Edward Livingston, Director of Community Partnerships.
Though December 16 was a cold day, the sunshine was warm as a dozen people gathered to walk a vibrant business corridor of Africatown in Southwest Philadelphia. We were there as part of the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia’s Love Thy Neighbor Walks, a public demonstration of solidarity and compassion.
Philadelphians from various backgrounds, including Black and White; Jewish, Baptist, Quaker, Muslim, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ, met neighbors whose journeys began in such places as Mauritania, Senegal, Nigeria, Guinea, Niger, Ghana, and Egypt. We shared words of welcome and acts of solidarity grounded in a simple message: the immigrant experience is central to American history, and every person is made in the image of the Divine.
Participants in the Love Thy Neighbor Walks named both heartbreak and hope—grief for the risks our neighbors endure, and gratitude for the extraordinary hospitality, generosity, and mutual care they offer one another.
Rabbis, pastors, board members, staff of Interfaith Philadelphia and the Religious Leaders Council were welcomed by a local Imam. He and his colleagues opened their homes and shops to us. Prayers were offered, greetings exchanged, and stories shared—stories of joy and resilience, and of the fear that shadows daily life as immigrants amid detention and deportation pressures.
One “auntie” spoke with pride of her son’s and daughter’s service in the U.S. Armed Forces. Others shared that, despite being compliant and engaged in the legal process of naturalization, neighbors have been detained after appearing for court as required. Business owners described empty shops as customers stay home, fearful of arrest.
Participants in the Love Thy Neighbor Walks named both heartbreak and hope—grief for the risks our neighbors endure, and gratitude for the extraordinary hospitality, generosity, and mutual care they offer one another. The wisdom we carried home was clear: understanding our neighbors is essential to a healthy community, and words that heal restore both speaker and listener. Acts of loving our neighbor help create a community where all are seen, valued, and welcomed.
Related article:
Love Thy Neighbor Walks: A Demonstration of Solidarity and Compassion
