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Immigration And Faith
how I wish all people knew peace and wholeness.
1976, as a Intern Pastor in Santa Barbara, I joined church members for a weekend of serving in Tijuana Orphanages. My heart was quick to connect with the young children who had no parents - no one who cherished their smiles, words, gifts.
My third visit was with a study group: 'Boarder Concerns." Over several days we visited the city dump (its own 'city'), the jail, an American TV factory that looked really wonderful until our study leader shared the rest of the story after our visit there, and we met with many individuals on the front lines of serving and caring for the many who are lost.
From that time, my heart sinks when I hear the cruel remarks about any immigrant from any country. Mainly because I have now entered into many lives of people who get blamed for our current fears in the United States. And, I can't imagine why I was born in Phoenix AZ and supposedly I am more important and safe than the trainloads of scared people trying to find any life that might be better than their previous homeland.
I caught Pastor Ryan Gear's article on HuffPost speaking to Donald Trump about the Bible Passages that deal with immigration. He joins me in hoping we can find ways to talk through immigration policies that can help us all come together. And I believe that many of us are clear that shouting headlines at one another only hurts. Imagine the fears that are coming to life in children and adults across our country - when we could be talking, praying and acting in ways that grow out of any of our faith heritages!
Some passages:
Leviticus 19:33-34:
When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat
them. 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.
Deuteronomy 10:17-19:
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great
God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and
the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and
clothing. And you are to love those who
are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.
Ezekiel 47:22-23
"You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for
the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born
Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the
tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe a
foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,' declares the
Sovereign Lord.
Jeremiah 7:5-8
If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each
other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow
and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other
gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I
gave your ancestors for ever and ever.
But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.
Ezekiel 47:22-23
"You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for
the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born
Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes
of Israel. In whatever tribe a foreigner
resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,' declares the Sovereign
Lord.
Matthew 25:37-40:
Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you
in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?"
"'The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of
the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
Galatians 3:28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free,
there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. …
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