I write this as a passionate foreign language major. With career ambitions in teaching or international law, I received my undergrad degree in Spanish from the University of Kentucky in 1984. I earned a 4.0 in my major, under the direction of Dr. Daniel Reedy in the Department of Spanish and Italian, now the Department of Hispanic Studies. The faculty were extraordinary, having been lured wholesale from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Those dedicated professors put U.K.’s program on the map – among the nation’s top colleges for Spanish. Dr. Reedy became Dean Emeritus of U.K.’s Grad School.
Not only did we study linguistics, but we were immersed in Hispanic literature and culture from contexts both domestic and abroad – from the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America. The goal was to leave us with a self-awareness that included taking our place as global citizens in a pluralistic society. It was an integral part of my young adult formation, and my later Christian commitment only deepened my fondness for the people whose language I’d been privileged to learn. So as not to be confusing, I’ll say it clearly: I love Hispanics.
Love matters. Jesus tells us plainly that loving God and others complies with the highest and greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-34). Loving God first and foremost is essential, but how do I “love my neighbor as I love myself”?
The Jews of Jesus’ day would largely have understood their “neighbor” to be their fellow Israelite. But God has a much broader definition of “love”. Loving my neighbor is more than simply loving those who are like me and who love me – or who can love me – in return.
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus specifically answers for us the question, “Who is my neighbor?” In Christ’s compelling story, a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho is attacked and left on the roadside for dead. A priest walking by sees the man but chooses to pass by on the other side. The same happens when a Levite arrives on the scene. Two Jews, both from the priestly line of Israelites – who should have known and obeyed God’s law – failed to show love to their brother in need.
Enter the Samaritan, stage right. The Samaritans were hated by the Jews because of cultural and religious differences. But, as Jesus tells the story, it’s the Samaritan who chooses to help the injured man. And he goes way out of his way to do it. He cares for the man’s injuries and pays for his lodging. So a person whom the Jews would have considered “unclean” and outside of God’s covenant shows the only true compassion. And it’s compassion for an “enemy” that ends up being the only real love in the parable. In short, my neighbor is anyone who needs my love.
So how in the world do we apply the goal of genuine Christlike love to the complex issues of national immigration?
I may get this wrong, and I’m open to your telling me that, but let me give it my best shot …
1. I ought to assume that I, personally, suffer from a love deficit, and that I am in daily need of Christ’s grace – that He might give me the heart of compassion that I desperately lack. Without such divine intervention, I will walk by human suffering like the priest or the Levite. I must always remember that every person is fashioned in God’s image, and worthy of dignity and respect (Genesis 1:27).
2. I can only love my neighbor, including my enemy, when I act toward that person with a heart that first loves God. I love others only out of the overflow of God’s love for me (Matthew 5:43-48; Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Peter 3:13-17; 1 John 4:7-12).
3. I must not assume that loving someone means agreeing with everything they say or do. Our culture is very confused on this point, but we who follow Christ must be clearheaded about it. My love for another will not always gain that person’s approval, as love requires that I speak and live the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6; Ephesians 4:15).
4. To love people is to seek what is best for them. I should desire to meet a person’s needs as I – strengthened by God – am able to do so. When I fail to understand what is best for someone else, my “helping” that person is likely to be hurting them.
5. Public policy is not always easily discernible from the Scriptures, as most Old Testament regulations for government – including the subject of immigration – were written for theocratic, pre-Messiah Israel. The New Testament tends to address the church and individual believers rather than the state. So I need humility, and an open heart from the Lord’s hand, to even begin to get this right.
6. I must not confuse the Bible’s teachings by reading or citing them out of context. For example, Romans 13:1-7 describes the government as a God-instituted authority over us – “an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” But, as an individual, I am specifically prohibited from vengeance and retaliation (Romans 12:14-21). I am called to feed my enemy, and to “turn the other cheek” when I am wronged, as Jesus instructs me (Matthew 5:38-42). If I’m expecting the state to turn the other cheek, I’ve missed the point. Turning the other cheek is my job.
7. I must not expect the government to do what Christ has called me to do. As His church – His body on earth – you and I are the hands and feet of Jesus to serve “the least of these” (Matthew 25:31-46).
8. It’s a matter of Christian wisdom to seek to determine whether or not a government policy is workable and effective, including issues surrounding border security, amnesty, immigration, and refugee policy. I think it’s safe to say that a completely open border soon creates a situation that is unsustainable for everybody, and helpful to nobody. In fact, it bolsters the brazenness of deadly drug cartels and encourages the scourge of human trafficking – and particularly the sex slavery of children.
9. It’s important that I not conflate the categories of legal and illegal immigration. Even in the ancient world, nations had borders that were protected and respected. Foreigners who wished to reside in another country had to obtain some sort of permission in order to be considered an alien with rights and privileges. The Bible’s multiple Hebrew terms for “foreigner” suggest that some resided in Israel with permission, while others didn’t. So, when we’re applying the Bible to our contemporary context, the legality issue matters.
10. Supporting reasonable, sustainable, and just immigration policy is not the abandonment of love, but the outworking of it. Similarly, support for the rule of law is an expression of love and protection for all.
11. It’s always my responsibility and privilege to pray for those in positions of government authority who’ve been charged with making or enforcing these kinds of challenging decisions (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
12. It’s fundamentally important that I trust God in each and every season. This is exceptionally critical when it comes to the complex questions of life – like the matter of national immigration in 2025 – which leave us without easy answers. I’m always in need of Christ’s wisdom and grace.
Friends, you and I are the people whose history includes the not-so-insignificant detail that our sovereign God chose “Ruth the Moabitess” – the most unlikely candidate imaginable – to be the great grandmother of Jesus. Through a poor immigrant woman, God saved an entire nation.
Lord, we are listening. In the words of the old hymn: “Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the facing of this hour.”
Pastor Charles
Leave a Reply