Immigration is a complicated topic facing our country. It has been estimated that there are about 10.8 million immigrants in the U.S. without legal status. Everyone agrees that this is a problem, but we have many different ideas on what is wrong and how to fix it. Some perceive immigrants as a threat to our culture, safety or national economy. Others advocate that we need more just laws to incorporate immigrants by ending various forms of exploitation and family separation — taking them out of the shadows and restoring a rule of law that includes pathways to legalization in reflection of current realities.
Many Christians feel stuck and unable to make sense of it all due to the increasing politicization of immigration. Some in the church may feel tempted to avoid talking about it altogether. However, I am convinced that silence in the church would be a huge mistake. We would be avoiding key calls of God throughout Scripture and failing to be present to critical justice issues of our day that affect millions of our neighbors.
Immigration as a biblical issue
There are some key ways to understand immigration as a biblical issue. First off, we must remember that we are called to love and treat those around us as neighbors and to care for the poor. Most immigrants, including those without legal status, came to improve a desperate economic situation for their families, to reunite with loved ones or to flee persecution. If we get to know our neighbors we can better understand their stories and what we can do for them.
Even more directly, the people of God are called throughout Scripture to be people of memory. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was especially called to remember how God liberated them from slavery in Egypt and led them to the promised land. Throughout Leviticus and Deuteronomy, God repeatedly told them that this experience should guide how they ordered themselves as a nation and interacted with people groups around them. Nearly all Americans come from a legacy of immigration, and we find inspiration in God’s presence in the lives of our forebears who created the opportunity on which we now stand. As God’s people, we are similarly called to remember the circumstances God used to bring us to where we are today and let that influence how we treat people we encounter in similar situations.
Demographers tell us that immigrant churches are the fastest-growing segment of evangelical churches in the U.S. In example, “Hispanics account for almost all recent growth in evangelical churches, even in predominantly black and Anglo congregations,” says Jesse Miranda, the president of the National Alliance of Evangelical Ministries. Therefore, these neighbors are also our brothers and sisters in Christ, the members of our own body. This issue is not just about “them,” it is about “us.” It is at the very center of the church and, I would argue, at the center of what it means for us to be the church.
Living testimony of Christ’s love
Finally, our immigrant neighbors provide the opportunity to live out the gospel and to “let [our] light shine before others,” as Matthew 5:16 exhorts. Many have attitudes toward the immigrant as an “other” and vilify them. Luke 10 tells us how we treat the vulnerable and the marginalized is a direct testimony to whether we carry in us the love and compassion of Christ. And in Matthew, Jesus instructs us to welcome the stranger, for in doing so we are welcoming him. We have the opportunity to be a testimony of Christ’s love to all who are watching.
On March 6, I am helping to organize a great opportunity for us at Biola to think together about this topic. Matthew Soerens, co-author of “Welcoming the Stranger” and church trainer with World Relief, will be on campus offering a session on the topic of immigration. I invite you to come to Talbot East 109 at 7 PM and listen, and to bring your questions as we wrestle with a biblical approach to a complicated topic. For more information, you can contact Alicia Miller: 562-944-0351 x4540 or email: [email protected]
