lately, I've been running into people who really hate immigrants
....and really, really hate illegal immigrants.
and say they love Jesus Christ.
and when i talk to them, or they yell at me, or i overhear angry conversations, i hear their fear.
i hear that they are fearful that all of their jobs will be taken, fear of terrorism, fear of the unknown.
fear that things might change...
and yet God doesn't seem afraid of those things....
i have come across volumes of scripture in which we are told to love the stranger among us.
to count the stranger as one of us and love him as one of our own.
to make sure their are no "tyrannical decrees" or "infamous laws",
and to not exploit the stranger.
to treat fairly the alien, because we were once aliens.
to love because we have been loved.
"If we do not have peace
it is because we've forgotten
that we belong to each other"
~Mother Theresa~
So,what do i say to the people whose fear is making them hate? How do i remind those around me to love as they have been loved? how do i remind my brothers and sisters that we do indeed belong to each other? how do i lovingly respond to people who first have to know my citizenship status before they are willing to talk to me? what do i tell the people i serve about the other "Christians" who hate them (or just take advantage of them)? how do i really help anybody in the face of all of this?? what are we telling the world about God when we don't really love our neighbor because we don't think they are worthy of being our neighbor?
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Really interesting post Linda. I have a confession. I got really mad at some latinos the other day. There was that rally for "immigration reform" all across the country. I am sure you saw the headlines of what some call police brutality in Los Angeles (I don't care to decipher whether it was or not). There was a Rally here in Santa Rosa and the route snakes right around My house. I had to sit in stopped traffic for 15 minutes while the march went by on 5th street. I was frustrated then. I made a left onto fifth where one lane was open to me and the other lane was full of marchers. As I drove slowly past the last day saloon on 5th street I heard someone yell what sounded like "hola muchacho!" and he whipped an open can of 7up into the cab of my truck, spilling its contents all over me in my Sunday best and my seats. I was pissed, and there was nothing I could do. Could I have pulled over my truck and called the guy to task... probablly not if I valued my health. I am not sure that what I felt was racist but I sure was angry. I couldn't help but think things like "Why do these people have the right to do this?" and am I wrong.
ReplyDeleteBack to your post, There is no excuse for hate. We are called to love all, regardless of their citizenship or our political beliefs, or their offense to us. I will spend my life believing and fighting for that.
But I guess the question I have for you is can someone support laws to keep illegal immigrants out of our country and perhaps even return some to their country and still love them? I would love to hear your thoughts on that. Also what do you think the US should do about our immigration issue? What is Linda Miranda's Comprehensive Immigration reform plan?
oh Thomas, what can i say??
ReplyDeletei guess i can begin by saying that what that person did-messing up your truck and your clothes while you were just trying to go home- was wrong. I'm sorry that happened to you. and while we are called to love our neighbors, it doesn't always mean that our neighbors are the brightest or kindest folks by far. Especially because those actions were not furthering "the cause"....(Ecc.4:8-9)
another thought...it's hard to make a certain group of people "these people" when i think we are called to make them "my people", all of them - Rich, Poor, Black, White Asian, Latino, whatever.(Gal.3:28) "they need to become "us" because that prophetic call is heard time and again in God's word.
And i think when we are collectively asking questions about why our people in other countries are coming here, to the one we lucked out in being born in, than we will be able to come up with "comprehensive immigration reform".
i have met very few people who have risked life and limb to come to the united states illegally that are not working as hard as they can to make a better life for themselves, and oftentimes for a whole family. i say FEW because the reality is there are some people who want to be taken care of with out the need to work, and i've met american citizens who feel that way too.
and you know, whatever! there will always be people who are like that, but those are our people. and we are called to love them.
bu those who are working hard to feed themselves and there families...well, i think that we need to allow people the dignity of working to feed their families. and house their families. and take care of medical needs. and earn an education. and if there is no way for that to happen in their country of origin why should i punish people who working towards that?? (psalm 103:6)
and why should we have that be a punishable crime??(Lev.19:32-34) people are here illegally be cause we have created laws that say they are illegal. we can change those laws.(Isaiah 10:1-2)
and those questions bring me to this question...why are my brothers and sisters all over the world poor?? why will they risk their lives, and their families lives to come to this country?? why will they be willing to give what little they have to be smuggled in trucks, trunks of cars, hulls of boats,through merciless deserts and rough seas to work here?? what am i doing, what are my people doing to my people that keeps them poor enough- desperate enough to take such big risks?
i think that maybe everyone needs to answer those questions for them selves, but as Christians i think that we need to ask for the Holy Spirit to help us interceed on behalf of our neighbors both here and far away...that our hearts would be open to what it really means to love.
i know that you know that love is not just a feeling. love is tied up with faithfulness. and those are connected to action.
so do i think Christians can support immigration law?? well that depends on what law that is...and what kind of provisions it makes for people....at present i'm not happy with it becasue i think it's hurtful and unrealistic but at the same time i don't have my own perfect plan...
my plan, at present is to pray, to learn as much as i can, to continue to help the folks i come across becasue they are my folks, to pray some more and to continue to ask these questions...
what do you think??
You make a lot of really good points that I haven't thought about before. I see what you are saying about the scriptures that are through out the bible about loving the foreigner that is in your land. To be honest I think you are right about fear. I have to admit I am afraid of the change that would come to this country if limitless amounts of people were allowed to come. As I look through scripture thought Linda I see that even though the Israelites were called to be loving to foreigners, I think they were called by God to remain separate. There was always a special area in their temple that foreigners could go to, but only nationals could truly have all the benefits of the temple. Never in scripture do I see a call to turn the foreigner into one of their own... that is until the gospel of Jesus. Our first approach toward immigration should be an invitation into our the kingdom of God. We both know that citizenship there is far more important than any other of this world. This is a concept that is taught over and over again in the new testament, far more than the topic of national lines are discussed in the old testament.
ReplyDeleteSo what do I think about immigration. I think there is a problem. No one likes the system now. This has been recognized for the past 15 years and no one has the guts to do something about it. Finally this imperfect idea that everyone kind likes but kinda doesn't like comes up, and to be honest I think it is the best it is going to get. It gives 15mil a path to citizenship and makes others in the country feel security they need. It could end the double talk we do and bring some semblance of order back to the messed up system. As of right now there our immigration policy is one of anarchy. This brings order, and seems to be the best that our politicians can do.
thanks for the honest discussion. you have challenged me quite a bit.
thomas, what are we thinking about this senate debate over the immigration bill??
ReplyDeletePastor Jack W. Hayford, The King's Seminary, Los Angeles, CA
ReplyDelete"My prayer over the present immigration issue in America is that leaders will find resolution by patiently balancing the tension it places between law and mercy. These are not enemies a fact God declares as He exercises both and never compromises either. Human habits are to choose sides rather than seek His Spirit and His wisdom. Yes, America needs to vigilantly guard her borders, but equally true is her need to be generous with aliens who have taken haven here. Our dilemma can only be balanced by joining heart and mind by administering with God's justice an application of law tempered by generosity, and by exercising His patience and equitability toward foreigners already in our midst. And our greatest defense in an age of terror will be to avoid offending the One who commends compassion and who rules with mercy, knowing He will sustain in safety all who are humble in their exacting of law's just demands."