My peculiar vocation is to help the church think like Christians so that we might act like Jesus. In the elevated, polarized political world we live in this is becoming more and more difficult to do. We, as individuals have become proclaimers of our own truth. Over time, this has eroded the authority of pastors, and the Church. Many church folk have taken up convictions that simply are not in line with scripture. Fear, self-preservation, and politics quickly override the desire to follow Jesus. Thus, it is my role to call people back to the Christian Scriptures.
This is certainly the case as it pertains to immigration and our fear of “the other” (xenophobia). We all have fears or cautions about others. I do. I would encourage us to get to know someone else of another ethnicity or religion. People tend to fear what we do not know. So, meet someone who is of a different ethnicity; learn their story. “Knowledge of the truth about the world renders the world less fearful and more bearable.”[1] We do not learn much about the world by only watching our preferred news station. We learn by building relationships. I have had experiences, relationships, education, and Spirit-led transformation that forces me to ask, “What does it mean to respond like Jesus pertaining to the issue of immigration and the other among us?”
Let’s look at a few guiding scriptural principles that help us navigate this complex issue. First, we are all created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27 and Ephesians 2:10). This immediately changes the trajectory of the conversation. What if we saw every person the way God sees him or her? God does not place value on people based on what there is skin color is. God does not place value on their socio-economic status. God does not use religion as a determining factor in order to love people. He certainly does not place value on whether or not people have a US green card or proper government documentation. Is it possible that US immigration policies and our negative rhetoric are framed in such a way that devalues people as image bearers of God?
Secondly, Luke 10:25-37 teaches us that God’s neighborhood has no boundaries. In God’s neighborhood there are no walls. “Jesus’ whole ministry was about pursuing those outside the circle and beyond acceptability.”[2] What does this then mean for us who claim to follow Jesus? We are called to love our neighbor and everybody is our neighbor. Therefore, we have both a spiritual and an ethical responsibility for the plight of all people. Throughout the Old Testament the Israelites were condemned based on their failure to care for the alien or stranger (Lev. 19:33-34; Job 31:32). “Israel’s stance toward the foreigner was a part of the larger fabric of its ethical life. It was apart of the ethos of what it meant to be the people of God.”[3]1 John 4:19 informs us we love and are able of love because Christ has loved us first. This is the defining characteristic of who Jesus is. Therefore, it is nonnegotiable that we who claim his name ought to also be conduits of his love. Furthermore, we must not forget, we did not deserve such a love, there is nothing we can do to earn it, and it surely is not based on our geographical address. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).
Now, some would say, “We cannot live like that. We must protect ourselves.” I would encourage us to look at what is truly a threat: our actual policies, rhetoric concerning immigration and race, and what are we called to through scripture. If love truly is our guiding principle, we as Christians must respond in compassion and hospitality regardless of our sentimental nationalism, our current broken laws and our political affiliation. This does not mean there cannot be a legal system in place, but let’s work to make sure our laws are just, making sure they speak out against other injustices people are desperately trying to escape. Lastly, out of love we take up the work of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). This obviously must take place with people, but I would also urge us to participate in reconciling our mind and our ideologies with the mind of Christ (Romans 12:1-2) Our political or national rhetoric is often simply out of line with the character of God. Are we okay with that? If we save the nation and we forfeit the call to care for our neighbor is that pleasing to God?
“Our problem is not that we fear,” pastor, professor William Willimon says, “it’s that our fear is often misplaced and that we sometimes fear excessively. Too much fear is the problem as we allow our lives to be dominated by the avoidance of evil rather than the pursuit of good.”[4] In the process we forsake the ministry of love and reconciliation that we have been called. Why? We fear the other, the stranger more than we fear the God who commands, “Love one another.”
A key issue today concerns how a large portion of culture in the US perceives national and cultural identity and its maintenance in light of the growing presence of immigrants. Jesus confronts the identity question head on through what he demonstrates in Luke 10:25-37 referred to as the Good Samaritan. “Even as he lives as a Jew, Jesus lays aside the exclusivistic mores and negative feelings of this cultural heritage toward Samaritans for more important things: their value as persons and the potential of their faith.”[5]
We quickly forget that Samaritans were considered violent enemies of the Jews. So, why would Jesus pick one to be the hero in one of the most memorable and often referred to biblical texts? It is hard for me not to conclude the answer should better guide our discussions and actions concerning immigration. We have settled for a kingdom created in our own image, and we have forsaken a Kingdom, which reflects the heart of God. May we not allow our politics to dictate love. This love is not to be contained by walls, it does not check passports, and it is not to be conditioned by our personal biases. Instead, we are called to confess our fears and our prejudices trusting that through the work of the Holy Spirit God is able to renew our minds and transform our hearts. This is the only way we have a chance at a faithful response to scripture to such a pressing issue. We are called to love our neighbor, not put up walls.
