Getting back to last week’s discussion…. Believe it or not, my intention was not to discuss immigration. See what power Kitchen commenters have? I had mentioned it, so it was certainly open to discussion. I’m having my doubts about going too far with that subject at this time, given the heightened political tone of the moment. Immigration becomes a partisan issue, and I don’t want to get caught up in that.
Still, I want to share some thoughts on how I think Christians should look at immigration issues. I’d like to hear your reaction to these ideas:
- First and foremost, Christians should seek what’s good for the Kingdom. While that should be obvious, it rarely seems to come up in discussions among Christians. Our goal is not the continued welfare and prosperity of the United States, though American Christians too often conflate that with the welfare and prosperity of the Kingdom. Our priority is not our own personal safety nor economic security. Above all, we seek what’s good for the Kingdom. Granted, that’s not always easily defined, but it needs to be at the forefront of our conversations.
- Our response to immigrants and our thoughts on overall immigration policy can differ. That is, even if you think there should be stricter controls on immigration, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat immigrants as “your neighbor,” in the biblical sense.
- Our views on immigration and border security can differ. We need to recognize that most of the problems at the border are not caused by immigrants coming to work in the U.S. We also need to remember that a large number of illegal immigrants to the United States enter by legal means, then remain in this country illegally. Immigration and border security are not the same question.
- Our views on immigration must be bathed in compassion. Personally, I find that leading me to some interesting places. For example, I believe the United States should secure the southern border, limiting and eliminating illegal crossings. Immigrants face great risks when crossing illegally: risks from the elements when making a desert crossing; risks from kidnappers, extortionists, drug traffickers; even risks from run-ins with authorities. Compassion will also lead me to help look after their needs once here, even when it’s inconvenient or even harmful to my own situation.
- Our attitude toward aliens should be shaped by the fact that we ourselves are strangers and aliens in this world. We should take the opportunity to learn from the immigrant, lest we forget and begin to feel ourselves at home.
Those are some initial thoughts. What would you throw into the mix? Which of these points would you choose to disagree with?
I like the parameters you lay down as suggestions for a rational, Christian discussion of Immigration and Immigrants. Obviously you have given this a great deal of thought – and you are not approaching it from a xenophobic perspective. I am a relative new-comer to thinking seriously about the various issues involved here. I still do not have solutions that I can propose as political solutions.
I definitely agree that:
(1) We must treat the individual immigrant as individuals who are created in God’s image.
(2) We need to tone down the selfish, nationalistic content of the discussion, even among Christians as we consider our response as citizens, not of the USA, but of heaven.
(3) If there is a conflict between kingdom citizenship and USA citizenship, we must follow the kingdom ethic and policy rather than USA obligations.
How far does this go? Would I actively assist an immigrant who is here illegally? I do not see it as my place to try to determine the immigration status of a person who is in need of the assistance I can give. If, however, I see a person in need and know that person is here without documentation, I still have a problem in knowing what I should do. I know that I could not allow a person to go without food or needed health care, even if I know their status is “undocumented.” How much farther would I go? I do not know.
I am, however, grateful to you for providing me with a “sounding board” to try out my thinking in a sympathetic environment.
Outstanding, I agree completely. I would add what Dan Rodriguez said, “In 100 years it won’t matter if we were American, English, Honduran, etc in regards to this issue. But it will matter if we approached this issue as a Christian.”
The most important boundaries God sees are not the boundaries on a map, but whether a person is in or out of the Kingdom of God.
Having grandparents as immigrants and alot of us here have had ancestors come from somewhere else, has anything changed? We all have predjudices in some form or another. Be it religious bias, nationalistic or racial. We do have it to some degree.
In earlier centuries people came here and established homesteads, new towns, cities and territories. There was plenty of room for everybody. This hasn’t changed, as this country still has emmence opportunities for all immigrants still. The problem comes in when we think that the new immigrant is somewhat different than the ones that came before. No, nothing has changed, its still the land of plenty and the land of opportunity. One thing is for sure and that is change. Its constant, always moving us in many directions. Remember one thing God is love. If we are truely claiming to be what God intended us to be, servents to each other, loving each other, and having others see God thru our actions.
Sorry if I step on lots of toes, but can’t keep from speaking out. I do not consider myself as prejudiced or biased, but wanting to obey God in all areas. Any of us who had ancestors who were immigrants came in a legal way (or were dragged here as slaves). We are to obey the laws of the land, according to God’s word. If we steal, injure or kill someone, we are to be punished by the laws of this land. By coming illegally, we are “stealing” from those who are here legally. We can have compassion and assist those who are illegal by helping them return safely with whatever needs they may have for that journey. If we can afford to help, we can assist them in returning legally – it is very costly. But there are people who come from other countries besides those who speak Spanish (which makes up the majority of illegal immigrants) who came legally, such as the Vietnamese did, so it is possible. Another thought – why can’t our government make it less costly to come legally? I love my Spanish brethren in our congregation and wish only the best for them.
Tim,
I think every Christian ought to read what God says about the treatment of the “alien/foreigner” in Deuteronomy and ask why God should expect anything different now. And while we are at it, we might ask why God told Israel to remember the aliens and foreigners (hint = because the land is not ours to set boundaries to exclude certain individuals…it is God’s land which we are blessed to live in).
Just deleted a spam comment from the Tea Party. Reminds me of why I have so little respect for partisan politics. They can’t even talk intelligently about a subject without turning it into a “vote for us, vote against them” diatribe. Sheesh.
No you are not welcome to cut and paste some political JUNK on this blog.
Jeanne,
Just a few comments
Grace and peace,
Tim
So what is the answer? Do we become ( or do our church leaders ) become social activists and teach us what to believe in the ways of immigration ( or whatever social issue you want to put in the blank ) or do we become the light of men?
Please don’t get me wrong here – I firmly believe if the congregations of the saints in the north and south had embrace their brothers and sisters who were slaves and the blacks who were freedmen, we would not have suffered that terrible war and slavery would have banished without a shot being fired. But men are evil and their culture is strong. It permeates even the churches. Yes there were example of Godly men embracing their brothers, but far to few. I think if we open our eyes and we will still see that so often Peter’s dream was preach on the pulpit but alas not practice in those days. Too hard to accept a black man, in those good ol days, in the pew next to us.
Even in the days when civil unrest was quite the thing to do – many of God’s people kept the status quo (‘the culture’) by having one congregation of one type of brothers and another type of a different set of brothers down the street. The problem may be us – those who are bought by that heavy price of Christ’s sacrifice and yet we refuse to go beyond the comfort zone. We only practice what we preach in the congregation and we do not become the good Samaritan, not caring who watches or who it is on the ground, but taking taking action and taking care of the need now. Christ taught us how to pray for one another, how to love another, how to become men of God. It was the individual who was to walk the ways of God and thereby the world will see the depths of His love.
I do not think we should embroil ourselves in a social cause – politics is not a worthy goal. We should embrace those who are bought by Christ’s blood as brothers and sisters, without hesitation, doubt or prejudice, – we should become a light of this world and the salt of the earth (if not we just might suffer the same fate as Israel so long ago). We really should believe our brothers and sisters are just that. No this does not answers the immigration issue – but those who are bought by Christ’s blood are our sisters and brothers – and we are bound by that.
Ed,
I think we take advantage of the opportunities God is bringing us, as he brings the world to our doorstep. We operate with compassion above all and Christian charity in everything.
We reject politics, like the Tea Party skubalon that somebody posted here before (and yes, there is Democratic skubalon and Republican skubalon and Libertarian skubalon…). We reject the labeling of people as “illegal,” especially people that are only trying to provide for their families in an unjust world.
We deal with people as people, not as political pawns. We don’t look to the courthouse nor the statehouse to solve these problems; instead we open our own house to the stranger and the alien.
If the people of this nation object, we remind them of the words engraved on the Statue in New York Harbor:
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
No one can claim to want to restore the values of the United States and seek to oppress the immigrant. And certainly none can claim citizenship in the Kingdom and participate in any such oppression.
Grace and peace,
Tim