Loving the Alien
So, the last 24 hours has been a little nuts, hasn't it? I was hoping to follow my own advice and take a breath, calm down, etc. But then actual people started to be affected by the actions of the current administration. Actual people - men, women and children. We saw their faces, heard their voices. A family of six fleeing the bombing in Syria who arrived in the US with a valid refugee visa and were stopped and put on the next plane back to Qatar. A young Iranian woman, an artist with a green card (permanent residency), married to an American citizen, who was prevented from boarding a plane to come home from visit to Australia. Doctors, scientists, movie directors and more, all prevented from coming to our country to work by an executive order banning them simply because of the country of their origin.
What can I say about this? Christian teaching is unequivocal in this regard. From the earliest teaching of Moses to the Israelites, we have been told to welcome the alien in our own land. More than a dozen verses in the first five books of the Bible deal with the treatment of immigrants and refugees. "The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God." (Lev 19:34) It's pretty clear that God expects his people to protect the rights of those who are the most vulnerable. And, as many people have pointed out, Jesus and his family were refugees as they fled to Egypt to escape Herod's slaughter.
Christian groups all over the world have spoken up about this latest change in US policy, and more importantly, about those people who support the policy. Even Pope Francis voiced his opinion in a meeting with Catholic and Presbyterian pilgrims. “The sickness or, you can say the sin, that Jesus condemns most is hypocrisy, which is precisely what is happening when someone claims to be a Christian but does not live according to the teaching of Christ. You cannot be a Christian without living like a Christian,” he said. “You cannot be a Christian without practicing the Beatitudes. You cannot be a Christian without doing what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25, 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.'"
It's important to remember that we're not talking about illegal immigration here. The ban covers people with valid US student, work and refugee visas. All of these people are thoroughly vetted before visas are issued. For refugees, the process that takes, in most cases, up to two years. These are almost all families with children. These people are fleeing dangerous, inhumane, unlivable conditions in their own homelands. And, if it weren't for those conditions, I'm sure most would prefer to stay home. They are not coming here to take our jobs. They are not coming here to plan terrorist activities. There have been no cases of terrorism on US soil commited by refugees (or anyone from the seven banned countries for that matter). Haven't we seen that terrorists can come from anywhere - even our own American citizen population?
I find it hard to believe that these people were not targeted because they are Muslim. Muslims are not our enemy. Their religion does not make them dangerous. Terrorists are driven by a twisted political ideology that they disguise as religion. A sad fact of this ban on immigrants is that it only adds fuel to extremists' fire. They are looking for reasons to declare the US an enemy of Islam. Wouldn't it be great for those who want to hate Christianity and the US, to only see churches and Christians embracing those Muslims who actually make it to America?
As I write this, I'm reading reports that a brave US federal judge has ordered a block of the immigration ban. I hope that this gives all the agencies involved, as well as Congress, a chance to examine the executive order, and perhaps revise and alter it to provide more protection for current visa holders.
So what is a Christian to do? Pray for change in policies. Pray for the families who are being held in detention or being sent back to an uncertain future in the home countries. Pray for the holders of valid green cards or student visas who just want a chance to work or study in order to provide a better life for their families. Encourage your local church to learn more about ways to help refugees and immigrants in your own community. Start a study group to look at Biblical teachings regarding immigrants and foreigners.
God of all people, be with us as we seek to find common ground. Be with those who are awaiting news of their fates. Help us to open our hearts and our doors to the "aliens and strangers" and welcome them in your name. Amen.
What can I say about this? Christian teaching is unequivocal in this regard. From the earliest teaching of Moses to the Israelites, we have been told to welcome the alien in our own land. More than a dozen verses in the first five books of the Bible deal with the treatment of immigrants and refugees. "The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God." (Lev 19:34) It's pretty clear that God expects his people to protect the rights of those who are the most vulnerable. And, as many people have pointed out, Jesus and his family were refugees as they fled to Egypt to escape Herod's slaughter.
Christian groups all over the world have spoken up about this latest change in US policy, and more importantly, about those people who support the policy. Even Pope Francis voiced his opinion in a meeting with Catholic and Presbyterian pilgrims. “The sickness or, you can say the sin, that Jesus condemns most is hypocrisy, which is precisely what is happening when someone claims to be a Christian but does not live according to the teaching of Christ. You cannot be a Christian without living like a Christian,” he said. “You cannot be a Christian without practicing the Beatitudes. You cannot be a Christian without doing what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25, 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.'"
It's important to remember that we're not talking about illegal immigration here. The ban covers people with valid US student, work and refugee visas. All of these people are thoroughly vetted before visas are issued. For refugees, the process that takes, in most cases, up to two years. These are almost all families with children. These people are fleeing dangerous, inhumane, unlivable conditions in their own homelands. And, if it weren't for those conditions, I'm sure most would prefer to stay home. They are not coming here to take our jobs. They are not coming here to plan terrorist activities. There have been no cases of terrorism on US soil commited by refugees (or anyone from the seven banned countries for that matter). Haven't we seen that terrorists can come from anywhere - even our own American citizen population?
I find it hard to believe that these people were not targeted because they are Muslim. Muslims are not our enemy. Their religion does not make them dangerous. Terrorists are driven by a twisted political ideology that they disguise as religion. A sad fact of this ban on immigrants is that it only adds fuel to extremists' fire. They are looking for reasons to declare the US an enemy of Islam. Wouldn't it be great for those who want to hate Christianity and the US, to only see churches and Christians embracing those Muslims who actually make it to America?
As I write this, I'm reading reports that a brave US federal judge has ordered a block of the immigration ban. I hope that this gives all the agencies involved, as well as Congress, a chance to examine the executive order, and perhaps revise and alter it to provide more protection for current visa holders.
So what is a Christian to do? Pray for change in policies. Pray for the families who are being held in detention or being sent back to an uncertain future in the home countries. Pray for the holders of valid green cards or student visas who just want a chance to work or study in order to provide a better life for their families. Encourage your local church to learn more about ways to help refugees and immigrants in your own community. Start a study group to look at Biblical teachings regarding immigrants and foreigners.
God of all people, be with us as we seek to find common ground. Be with those who are awaiting news of their fates. Help us to open our hearts and our doors to the "aliens and strangers" and welcome them in your name. Amen.
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