God’s Caution When Welcoming the Immigrant

Church leaders, politicians and business owners that deliberately enable and justify the ungodly behavior of defiant immigrants, are complicit in their criminal conduct. - Clint Decker

Once a year I step onto an airplane and leave my familiar American soil, fly over the Atlantic Ocean then step off the plane to plant my feet on African soil, specifically, Kenyan soil. When I do, I find myself in a sea of people with a different skin color, language, clothes, food, music and overall culture than mine. And quickly, I find myself a stranger in another land. (Image from unitedmethodistbishops.org)

This is a picture of immigration, where people move from their native land to a different one, sometimes by choice, sometimes by force. Instantly, they go from being a native to a foreigner, from a citizen to a stranger.

We live in a world of immigrants. The United Nations Migration report states that nearly 300 million people live in a different country from which they were born. And the United States receives more immigrants than any nation in the world. The U.S. Current Population Survey reports that America has 53-million foreign-born immigrants (legal and illegal). A record number.

The United States was built on Christian principles that welcome’s the stranger. What are those? The Scriptures say, “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 19:33-34) The word “stranger” can also be sojourner, alien or foreigner. In a very practical term, it also means “guest.” Anyone who travels to a different county than which they were born, is a “guest” to that host nation.

What is expected by God from these guests? Immigrants are to abide by the existing laws of their host nation, “You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the LORD your God.” (Lev. 24:22) Immigrants are also expected to assimilate into the host nation’s culture, “Any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice…” (Lev. 17:8)

How is the host nation to treat their guests? Immigrants are expected to receive equal justice in the courts, “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner.” (Deuteronomy 24:17) Immigrants should be treated by the people with a sense of generosity, “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner…” (Deut. 24:19) Immigrants should not be taken advantage of, “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt…If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn…” (Exodus 22:21-24)

God lays out what He expects from the immigrants and from their host nation, but overall, He urges caution when welcoming the immigrant. He says, “There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.” (Psalm 81:9) This speaks of how immigrants naturally bring their own values and culture with them from their native land, and in cases where there are nefarious motives with that, it will have a dangerous and dramatically negative impact on the host nation.

For immigrants who seek to assimilate and are respectful of their new nation, God’s laws apply. But for those who intentionally refuse to assimilate, deceive, harm others and blatantly defy laws there is a different response. There is biblical precedent and wisdom to remove them from the host nation. For it is an act of defense of the country and love for its own citizens. And church leaders, politicians and business owners that deliberately enable and justify the ungodly behavior of defiant immigrants, it is no response of love, instead they become complicit in the immigrant’s criminal conduct.

A prayer for you – Lord God, we pray for wisdom and understanding on the divisive and complex immigration issue. We pray you will help us to employ your wise principles in navigating this. Help us to not be deceived while embracing both compassion and justice toward all immigrants. In Jesus’ name. Amen.