Immigration

Congress is working on a new immigration plan. What should it look like? Before we give suggestions to our senators and representatives here may be some thoughts to reflect on.

"You will not oppress the alien; you know how an alien feels, for you yourselves were once aliens in Egypt" (Exodus 23:9). For eons people have tended to shun and oppress the alien. It takes an intense Christian faith to be welcoming to the stranger, epecially one who comes from another country. We tend to believe that strangers will take something away from us. We tend to believe that if immigrants want to work they will take away our jobs. That if they are sick they will take away health care resources from us. That if they eat they are using our tax dollars to do so. That they will be criminals and be a danger to us. We tend to believe that they will achieve power over us. Because of these fears we unconsciously aim to make them powerless.

When we let our faith guide our beliefs we will see immigrants as children of God worthy of our respect. We will imagine Jesus ministering to these people. People who are homless. people who are hungry. People who are strangers in someone else's ountry. People who are sick. People who are lonely. And yes, people who are sinners. We could not imagine Jesus putting up walls to keep them away even though his disciples tried. We can only imagine Jesus multiplying loaves and fishes to feed them. We can only imagine Jesus giving them work in his carpentry shop so they could feed their own families. We can only imagine Jesus forgiving them for coming across the border illegally while the rest of us tend to want to throw stones. We can only imagine Jesus saying, "Come to me all you who are burdened and I will give you rest."

There is a battle within us to cede to our baser instincts fed by fear or to be hospitable as Jesus would have us be. We have a soul-saving choice to make. What should we tell our senators and representatives?