One of the biggest issues in our country, presently, is the issue of immigration. As Christians, we have an opportunity to lead by example. The question is, which direction shall we go?
The Bible is filled with examples of kindness toward aliens in strange lands. Remember, it says to the Israelites in Leviticus, that you were aliens in Egypt (Leviticus 19:34). We are instructed to show kindness to aliens living among us and treat them as we wish to be treated. Further, it says to leave enough food behind in your crops so that passers-by will find enough to eat (Leviticus 23:22).
However, the Bible tells us that aliens must abide by the same laws as the citizens of the country they enter. A quick search of an online Bible will show numerous passages that reference the treatment of aliens. I use crosswalk.com as my online Bible, but there are several good sources.
The Bible also tells us that we are to abide by the laws given to us by our leaders. Romans 13:1 tells us that we are to submit to the government because the authority to rule comes from God. Sometimes, when looking at the state of politics in the world, it is easy to forget that there is a purpose beyond our own. We shouldn’t assume that “authority to rule” automatically means the person is doing the right thing. There is a lesson to learn from mistakes and bad decisions too.
The issue of immigration puts the Christian in an interesting position. On one hand, we are commanded to obey the laws of our land and on the other, we are told to show compassion to strangers in our homeland. So, if we cannot provide comfort to an alien (read that to mean illegal alien) without breaking the law, then the solution must come from Christians in government.
Perhaps we are to petition our leaders for laws that are compassionate toward the aliens, but sensitive to the needs of those who are here legally. Amnesty is not going to work, and neither is mass deportation. Perhaps church and government can work together to reach the needy in this growing segment of our population.
Perhaps we can develop ministries to teach language skills, courses in citizenship, and reach out to a community that is often in hiding. Let’s not encourage illegal immigration, but let’s assist the government and our communities by helping create legal citizens out of the aliens who are already here. Let’s close our borders, but welcome those at our gates.
Personally, I would like to see our laws respected and obeyed. Our nation is a nation of immigrants and we should welcome legal immigrants with open arms. Illegal immigrants should respect our laws and be punished if they do not. We are to love our neighbor no matter who they are.
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