It’s hard to discuss the immigration issue without stirring deep emotions. What should be done with the millions of documented and undocumented immigrants who have entered this country in recent years? Politicians use the issue to gather supporters. Business owners need the manpower. Law-abiding citizens feel abused and threatened by these “scoff-laws.” The church’s voice desperately needs to be heard in this discussion. In this post, I want to consider the issue from a theological viewpoint. In future posts, I will address social and economic concerns.
The Bible is the story of God’s dealings with immigrants. The first migrants in the Bible were the very first people to walk the earth, Adam and Eve. God’s people have been on both sides of the immigration issue: they lived as aliens in other countries (both as forced and voluntary migrants), and they hosted aliens in their country. God himself became an immigrant (of sorts) when he left heaven and dwelt on the earth.
Even though sin was the cause of Adam and Eve’s forced relocation from Eden, God still demonstrated compassion and care for them (Gen. 3.21). We get a further glimpse into the heart of God in his instructions regarding the treatment of aliens. God wanted Israel to treat aliens with compassion and caring, because they knew firsthand the hardships of living as aliens in a foreign culture (Ex. 23.9).
According to Jesus, after the command to love God, the next most important command was to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Mark 12.29-31). This second command comes from Lev. 19.18. Later in that same chapter, God commands the Israelites to not mistreat aliens, and then commands them to “love (the alien) as yourself” (Lev. 19.33-34). Feel the effect of this command: “Love your neighbor and the alien as yourself.” Jesus further illuminates God’s heart by explaining that one’s neighbor is not defined by proximity, ethnicity nor nationality, but rather by necessity (Luke 10.29-37). My neighbor is the one who is in a disadvantaged state; my neighbor is the one who is in a state of need.
God’s concern for widows and orphans is understandable – they are defenseless and have no one to support them, financially or otherwise. Aliens complete the triad of God’s special provision because they, too, are in a disadvantaged position (Ex. 22:21-23). In an agrarian culture, access to land is the key to survival and prosperity. Since aliens were not allowed to own land in Israel, they had to depend on the graciousness of the land owners (Lev. 19.10). As slaves in Egypt, the Israelites had been in a similar state of dependency.
Paul’s instruction to obey the laws of the land is often mentioned in discussions about immigration (Rom. 13.1-7). I find it puzzling that we would grant our pagan and secular government the authority to “trump” God’s own words on issues of morality and ethics. When the law says that says abortion is legal and permissible, do we listen to the law or the heart of God? The law said that slavery was permissible until the 13th amendment (1865) declared it illegal. The law said that women could not vote, and it took another amendment (the 19th in 1920) to mandate that people could not be prohibited from the right to vote based on gender. Is the law our guide to tell us how we ought to treat people?
As Christians, our concern should not stop with the question, “What does the law say?” We have a divine obligation to press the matter further. What is God’s heart in this matter? What does He say or think? When we find a law that goes against God’s intent for humankind, how should we respond?
It is very interesting that the reason the Israelites were to treat aliens with compassion was because they were limited in their employment options. Immigrants today face very similar limitations to gainful employment. How should we respond? How does God expect us to treat people who are in a disadvantaged state because they do not have the papers to work in this country? Do we hide behind the law as a secular Corban (Mark 7.11), or do we step out with courage and boldness to challenge unethical and immoral laws?
The way I see it, for Christians, the immigration debate rests on this question: Should we obey men or God?
I know your heart is probably is in the right place, but your theology is not. We must be careful not to confuse compassion for the defenseless and disadvantaged, with compromise for the one who chooses to justify his/her action by deciding that the law does not apply to them.
Slavery was accepted in the time of Christ, though I personally do think it was a moral system that was pleasing to God. That system was, unfortunately, a part of this nation for far too long before corrections were made.
The right of women to vote was not necessarily a moral issue. The law needed to be changed and well as the law for blacks to vote. Both were bad laws that were addressed.
The issue of immigration has been made a moral issue by some people who sincerely believe it is a moral, when it is not. No one has a moral right to come to this country. There are laws in place for people who want to legally be a part of the United States. Is the system flawed? Absolutely. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. However, that does not justify breaking the present laws. Nothing justifies. Not compassion for the immigrants, the need for labor or anything else. I know many who have worked hard and followed the rules to be here legally. It can be done.
Immigrants do not need to be mistreated. But they do not have the right to free education, medical services and many other services and opportunities while at the same time thumbing their nose at the government who provides these services and protection.
You mention abortion. Abortion is a moral issue that has become a political one. The law allowing this atrocity is immoral and should be changed. I wish every abortion clinic were destroyed, but I do not have the right to burn them. I wish God would afflict those who carry out these procedures, but I do not have the right to afflict them or kill them myself.
I am to love my neighbor, God has commanded this. However, when my neighbor sins, he must suffer the consequences. I have a friend who accidentally killed a man with a vehicle. My heart aches for both families. I have genuine compassion for the young man guilty of this offense. But, he is still going to prison for a while. That is the law.
For those who want to become a part of this country legally, who have no criminal record and want to abide by our system of laws, imperfect though they be, we should make the process fair and expedient. To those who want to by-pass the system and knowingly break the law, they should suffer the consequences.
God does not excuse willful disobedience.
By: Benjie Nall on April 13, 2008
at 8:43 am
I know that this issue is complicated by a multitude of concerns, but I’m glad we can begin to talk through it.
God told the Israelites, “The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” (Lev 19.34) I understand that we live in a totally different situation, but to me, the principle is the same: treat everyone (the alien included) as I want to be treated.
In a later post I want to think more about the economics of immigration, but let me point out that all immigrants, even the undocumented ones, pay sales tax, property taxes (their rent payment helps the owners pay their tax), gasoline taxes, and automobile taxes. I know various people who do not have social security numbers who have a tax id number (TIN) so that they can pay federal income tax.
And while I agree that voting per se is not an ethical or moral issue, the withholding of that opportunity based on gender, race or other externals is the problem. Even after slavery was declared illegal in 1865, discrimination continued for too many years, and change began only after years of protest.
By: Jim Holway on April 14, 2008
at 2:07 pm
WAS NOT JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH EXILED IN EGYPT, AND LIVED AS FOREIGNERS WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT, FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS? MARY, JOSEPH AND JESUS HAD TO FLEE TO EGYPT AND LIVED THERE AS IMMIGRANTS WITH GOD’S FAVOR..WHEN THEIR LIVES WERE IN DANGER.. AM I WRONG???
By: CRISTINA CANO on April 16, 2008
at 3:01 pm
You are correct, Cristina, that Jesus was a political refugee or exile and his parents took him to Egypt to escape persecution and death. I’m not sure they stayed in Egypt for 10 years. I think it was just a couple of years, and then they moved to Nazareth where Jesus grew up. (Matthew 2.13-23)
By: Jim Holway on April 16, 2008
at 3:22 pm