An excerpt from my final paper on "A Christian Response to Asylum-Seekers at the Border":
“Closed borders in North America are not directed towards an existing threat of invasion by a foreign army but toward poor economic immigrants seeking opportunities and toward refugees fleeing their very lives. Hardened borders are designed to prevent the movement of the world’s poor – a people whom God says Christians should care for and not harm." - Karen Gonzalez, "The God Who Sees"
Most arguments made against immigration – even by Christians – are more cultural than Biblical. The Bible contains a great deal of support for aiding asylum-seekers and immigrants of all documentation status. In the Old Testament, the word for foreigner is gēr, also translated as sojourner or alien. The meaning of this Hebrew word is a person who lives among those who are not blood relatives, and who depends upon their hospitality. It suggests those who are staying, not merely passing through. The foreigner is often mentioned with orphans and widows as the top three vulnerable categories God concerns Himself with (eg. Deuteronomy 14:29, 16:11, 14, 24:17, 26:13, 27:19).
We are told from the start that all people are image-bearers of God (Genesis 1:27). The Old Testament law included many protections and provisions for the foreigner, including: that they should not be oppressed (Exodus 23:9; see also Zechariah 7:10), that they should be allowed to harvest from the outside of the fields (Deuteronomy 24:19-21), that they should not be taken advantage of (Deuteronomy 24:14-15), that justice should not be withheld from them (Deuteronomy 27:19), and that they should not be mistreated (Exodus 12:49, 20:10, 22:21; Leviticus 19:33-34, 24:22).
God went even further, telling the people of Israel that they should love the foreigner as themselves (Leviticus 19:34; Deuteronomy 10:18-19). Other laws state that they are not only for the people of Israel, but for the foreigners living among them, suggesting foreigners should be included within the community (eg. Exodus 12:49; Deuteronomy 26:11). Psalms 146:9 states the Lord watches over the foreigner. In Jeremiah 22:3, the people are told to “do no wrong” to the foreigner. When the people did not listen to these warnings, they faced judgment for their malicious acts towards or oppression of the foreigners among them (Ezekiel 22:7; Malachi 3:5).
In the New Testament, Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25:31-46 about the final days. He stated that those who will inherit eternal reward are those who fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited those in prison. “Whatever you did to one of the least of these… you did for me” (verse 40). Conversely, “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (verse 44). In the Good Samaritan story of Luke 10, Jesus challenged His listeners to rethink who exactly is their “neighbor”, whom they are commanded to love. The Christian duty to care for the poor and the needy was exemplified in Jesus’ own ministry.
The New Testament writers also expressed support for helping others. Paul writes we should share with those in need (Romans 12:13). Peter states we should not hesitate to show hospitality to others (1 Peter 4:9). The author of Hebrews even says that in doing so, we may be entertaining angels (Hebrews 13:2). Certainly, since Heaven is depicted as having people “from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelations 7:9), this may only be done if the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached to every nation. For our convenience, the nations are coming to us in the form of immigration. Paul says that we are all one in Jesus (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11) and that we are no longer foreigners but citizens in God’s Kingdom (Ephesians 2:19). We have an obligation to help our brothers and sisters in Christ, even if the government opposes such help (Acts 5:29).
It should be added that there are multiple immigration stories reflected in the pages of the Bible. The most famous immigration story is perhaps that of the people of Israel, first following Joseph to Egypt, and then fleeing Egypt four hundred years later after being freed from slavery. Abram/Abraham also had an immigration story, leaving his people to follow the call of God. Joseph, Moses, Ruth, Jesus when his family fled to Egypt, and the New Testament church – scattered under Roman persecution – also are immigration stories.
If we are looking for a way to live out the Bible’s message for economic justice and loving our neighbors – we don’t need to look much further than the immigrant among us. Whether this is an asylum-seeker at the border, an undocumented worker, or a refugee fleeing religious persecution, immigrants make our country and our church communities richer and fuller. They are the foreigners among us, and it is our duty – but also our privilege – to welcome them and help them along their journey.
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