. . . Scripture suggests that all of us who follow Christ, whatever our nationality, have become aliens in this world, as our allegiances are to lie not primarily with any nation-state but with the kingdom of God. Paul reminds the believers at Philippi that their citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20), while Peter (1 Pet 2:11) and the author of Hebrews describe believers as foreigners and strangers on earth (Heb 11:13). God used migration throughout Scripture to accomplish his purposes and bring his people to a greater … [Read more...] about Thinking Biblically About Immigration. Part 7 of the Welcoming the Stranger Series
Immigrating the Legal Way. Part 6 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
An understanding of the actual waits and costs implied when we suggest that immigrants wait their turn and immigrate the legal way is helpful. It is equally important to acknowledge, though, that many (probably most) of the people who immigrate illegally to the United States did not even have the option to get in line, because they have no qualifying family member who is a US citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident. - Soerens and Yang (2018), “Immigrating the Legal Way: Our Immigration System Today,” Chapter 4 in … [Read more...] about Immigrating the Legal Way. Part 6 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
A Nation of Immigrants. Part 5 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
Immigrants today, whatever their manner of entry, come primarily for the same reasons that immigrants have always come to our country. Though immigration policies have changed quite drastically over the last two centuries, immigrants themselves are still pushed out of their countries of origin by poverty, war, and persecution, and are still drawn to the United States by promises of jobs and economic advancement, freedom, and family reunification. These push and pull factors explain most, if not all, of immigration to … [Read more...] about A Nation of Immigrants. Part 5 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
The “Aliens” Among You. Part 4 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
“Francisco was up front about his legal status issues, but Alison presumed as they dated and moved toward marriage that, if he married a US citizen, this could be resolved easily. In hindsight, Alison says she was naive about immigration issues, having grown up in an ethnically homogeneous community where she had no real personal interaction with immigrants. If anything, she was confused by why Francisco wouldn't have just come legally in the first place: “As Americans,” she says, “We have this skewed perspective. Since … [Read more...] about The “Aliens” Among You. Part 4 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
The Immigration Dilemma. Part 3 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
Living in relationships with immigrants, refugees, and other low-income people has forced us to grapple with the question of what it means for us, as followers of Christ, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. It has also awakened us to the ethically complex questions of immigration and refugee policy—who do we let in, what do we do with those who came in even though our government did not allow them in, and what effect will our policies have on those already here and struggling to get by? Of course, our attempts … [Read more...] about The Immigration Dilemma. Part 3 of Welcoming the Stranger Series