Since I began teaching ESL in high school, I have worked closely with immigrants in multiple capacities. Lately, I have worked in serving a community of Latino teens and their families through the ministry of my church. For this entire time, I have always felt uncomfortable with traditionally conservative views on immigration, largely because I have heard countless anecdotes from some amazing people detailing their fight for survival in a socio-political climate that worked, it seems, tirelessly against them. Whether they came to the US with documentation or without, they have lived experiences I would not wish on my best enemy.  While I do believe that following the law of the land, including immigrations laws, is an important, Biblical principal, I have wrestled with this concept in the event of injustice. The law exists to protect the interests of the country and, ideally, its citizens, and above all else to promote justice and freedom. After hearing the stories of a large number of people, however, a disconnect grew between what I was taught laws were meant to do and what the law was actually accomplishing.

This is the same kind of disconnect, with completely different circumstances, that was present during segregation and institutionalized racism, Japanese internment camps, etc. These are moments in history when the law promoted security for some, be it financial, social, or political, but did so at the expense of others. Where is the line, as Christians, when we forgo the lawfully right to do what is morally right? Certainly no one today would call the Civil Rights Movement inherently Biblically wrong because it challenged the then current law of the land, right? In the same vein, I know plenty of Evangelicals who would take up arms in the event that a major freedom of ours as US citizens was threatened. Where is the line in which our God, who loves Justice and all that is truly Good, directs our hearts to go against the law to promote a greater good? Specifically, where is the line with immigration where we stop having blanket beliefs about who these people are and what their motives might be, and embrace them with the Mercy and Justice of God? Justice here not being justice in a US court for illegally entering the country, but justice for the ways they’ve been wronged by their home and mercy for the experiences they’ve had.

I’ve had what some would call ‘liberal’ views on this issue for a while, but when I’ve engaged in conversations with others about it I’ve ‘given a free pass’ to anyone who answered “It’s Biblical to follow the law.” “Their heart is in the right place, so we can agree to disagree,” I would assure myself. I’m realizing, though, that this opens us up to a world of hypocrisy and double-standards. I’ve already presented multiple examples of times when the law failed and when Christians were called to something greater. The answer “it’s Biblical to follow the law” is not enough, because it doesn’t take into account any injustice suffered or any stories of these people. It doesn’t take into account the mercy of Jesus or God’s plan for their lives. I can confidently say that illegal immigration has united me with many many people in Holy ways that only God could orchestrate! God’s plan for these people has superseded our imaginary borders that we have drawn with walls and guns, and it’s utterly prideful and shameful for us to think that we have a monopoly on God’s world. It’s perfectly alright for us to have boundaries and borders so that we may function as a society, and a great rule of thumb is that the law should be followed. The issue arises, however, when we see a massive amount of people breaking the law by entering this country, and condemn them for it instead of embracing them with the love and truth of Jesus. Instead of taking time to at least hear their stories so we may adequately judge their situation, we create blanket statements and build political campaigns around how to ‘deal with them.’ Oh, and please oh please don’t remind us of how Jesus instructs us to open up our land to foreigners. He was surely talking about giving our land-care business to foreigners with green cards, right? That’s what He meant. We are not aware of the injustice because we don’t care to know about it, and we do not care to know about it because it doesn’t fit into our comfort zone. But when we aren’t aware because we don’t care, we are actively perpetuating injustice; that is sinful.

Remember that proverbial line I was rhetorically asking about earlier? Well, it was somewhat of a trick question because the answer is that there is no line. Either we are allowing God to form our worldview, and with it how we view his creations (people like you and I) or we are limiting our worldview to what WE want it to be. Either we are loving all as God instructs, or we are not loving God because we aren’t being obedient. Either we let God have our world, or we make our world our god.

 

We aren’t condemning these people for their illegal entrance to our country because they broke the law, though that’s what we tell ourselves, but we are condemning these people out of fear.

A fear that has led us to entitlement. We have this intense notion that we are born in the US because God wanted to bless us, but we take it too far when we begin to feel entitled to this blessing. Do you know what we are entitled to? Death. We are entitled to death. Do you know what we have been given regardless of this grim, self-imposed entitlement? We have been given life. We have also been given the right to live in a free country with the ability to practice our religion in whatever way we please, copious amounts of material wealth and an access to wealth that is ever increasing, as well as safe, comprehensive medical care, and an ease of life found only in first world nations. We embrace the feelings of entitlement to these blessings, these privileges, which is actually contrary to Biblical ideology regarding earthly wealth, and this fuels our fear that one day this blessing might fade away. For this reason, we hold on to it as tightly as we can. It’s alarmingly familiar in the history of our country, isn’t it?

“They’re taking our jobs.” “They’re bleeding welfare.” “They’re crowding our schools.” Whose jobs? Whose welfare? Whose schools? “My country isn’t what is used to be.” Whose country? If we believe that God is who He says He is, and if we really trust Him, then we MUST defer our EVERYTHING for His use. We must give to Him, both physically and in our hearts, total control over our material possessions, and total obedience when He chooses to use them in ways that defy what we think is best. This is God we’re talking about! His plan is a perfect plan, and if we are going to claim to follow Him, then we must place our trust in Him wherever He takes us.

Out of this trust in Him, we need to begin to see people the way God sees them. We need to realize that it is worth enduring hardship, pain, and loss so that one can be found. Part of this fear I highlighted earlier comes from a large misunderstanding I believe American Christians have regarding material possessions. We have all been taught that God has blessed us, and that the blessing belongs to God. We have also been taught that it’s been entrusted to us for the works of His kingdom. The part we seem to have trouble with, though, is the idea that we need to be prepared to give it up for Him. The way this is typically translated into our cultural vernacular seems to be less “prepared to give it up for Him,” and more “prepare to lose all that He’s given us.” While the physical end result may be the same, this is an important distinction to make. When we believe that God has blessed us materially more than others because of where we live, and that following God may cause us to “Lose all we have,” we are automatically placing a large amount of value on the things of this world, which, in turn, causes us to cling even harder to them than before! We can handle the part where God has blessed us. In fact, we handle that so well that it becomes part of our identity. The ones God loved enough to allow them to be born in the greatest nation of the world: The US. But when we get to the part about laying down the things of this world and picking up our crosses, we have somehow twisted that into meaning that part of being a Christ follower means that some evil persecutor is going to come and try to take away your God-given wealth, the wealth that God gave to you because He wants you to have it! We treat this wealth as if there are monetary, hierarchical levels in the kingdom. This idea is poisonous garbage!

When God says that your blessings belong to Him, it means that He’s calling you to be willing to intentionally, lovingly, and joyfully give up every last drop of your material wealth and comfort with a thankful heart! Why else would God bless us so much? I can tell you for certain that it’s not because He loves us more or wants us to have a happier, safer life than the other people on this earth. I can tell you for certain that it’s not because He thought we deserved to be more comfortable than HIV infected children who walk miles to drink semi-safe water in sub-saharan Africa. Or because He wants us to spend millions of dollars on a building we call ‘the church’ while our brothers and sisters have only the shade of a tree to worship under. I’m so glad that is not my God, because if that was the character of God I would want no part of Him.

Maybe, just maybe, God has blessed you with all that it is to live in America so that you may know the joy that it is to be His hands and feet in the meeting of the material needs of this world, thus living out the gospel every step of the way!

Maybe He has blessed you with your luxury sports car so that you can sell it and build a small house for an immigrant family.

Maybe God has allowed you to make a six figure salary for five years so that you may willingly give your job to an illegal immigrant tomorrow and comfortably live off your earnings in a small apartment for years to come.

Maybe God has allowed you to know the freedoms of this country, so you can advocate how important these freedoms are for those who don’t yet have them.

All I know is that God did not bless you and I with material gain so that we may continue to be blessed by material gain, but so that we may bless others, all the while citing Jesus’ gift of life as our motivation! There is no greater joy in life than being actively involved in the spreading of the kingdom of God! As we bless others with material provision, we will be blessed by the ministry of the LORD.

If you read this and are convicted, I would love to talk and pray with you about these issues.

If you read this and find yourself already justifying your present Ameri-centric worldview in regards to immigration, I am begging you to spend some time with your Father. He wants to use you for His kingdom, but He will not do that until you are willing to gladly lose all you have.

If you are reading this and know someone who needs to read it, please share it with them. I write so that my words may be read.

The only way I know how to close up this lengthy post is to tell a small story about a very young Latina child I’ve had the joy of knowing for almost a year. We’ll call her Rosa here. She around 2-3 years old.

Recently, Rosa climbed into my lap during our Thursday youth service service. (We have a children’s church to go along with our youth group since many youth bring siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews.) I was excited to see her, because I hadn’t seen her in a long while. She is the daughter of illegal immigrants, only legal because she was born here. She had been treated as an afterthought that day, which is a painful extension of the cultural, socio-political afterthought her life is already becoming as the daughter of illegal immigrants. I knew the Father wanted to love her through me. The following conversation took place after hugs, kisses, and prayers.

Me: Rosa, ¿has oído de Jesucristo?

Rosa: No.

Me: Pues, Él es el hijo de Dios, y te ama. Te ama mucho.

Rosa: Pero no le conozco.

Me: Yo sé, pero Él te conoce, y te ama muchísimo, hija.

 

English Translation:

 

Me: Rosa, have you heard of Jesus?

Rosa: No.

Me: Well, He is the son of God and He loves you. He loves you a lot.

Rosa: But I don’t know Him.

Me: I know, but He knows you and He loves you very much.

From there, we sat some more. I held her and whispered prayers of blessing over her sweet head until she was joyful again and ready to run around and play.

As I reflect on that time shared with her and our Father, I can clearly see His love for Her. She walked, well she was carried, into NewDay Community Church to be loved on by Jesus through me. What didn’t matter in that moment was where she came from, whether her papers were in order, who her parents were, or what their country of origin is. What mattered in that moment is that God the Father had so much love to give to His hurting daughter, and that He blessed me with the ability and humility to pour that love upon Her.

And you know what, I am so thankful that loving her didn’t cost me my house or my car, because it allows me to do it again and again. But if tomorrow I had to choose between pouring out more love and truth yet having nothing, and living comfortably while following my own prerogatives, you would find me homeless, wandering the streets all the while singing praises to my King.

Would it be easy? No. Would it be worth it? Yes.

God’s Love and Truth is always worth every earthly cost.