It would be so easy for me at this point to diverge from the specifics and complain about how the issue is rooted in man's sin nature and this wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for Adam's sin, but I'm kind of tired of hearing about that and I suspect many others are, too. So, I acknowledge that sin did enter into the world through Adam's sin, but I'm not going to make him take the fall for the sins that have been committed since then. This is us now wrestling with sins we and others are committing now.
Before I listen to the persuasions of any other person in the media (conservative or liberal), I must first take into account what the Bible says or doesn't say on the subject. And so far I have yet to come across a verse that obviously supports closing off a country's boarders to immigrants. Leviticus 19:33-34 says:
"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 10:19 says:
And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.
One might argue that since those are Old Testament verses, they don't apply to a New Testament church. Since there are no New Testament verse that cover the subject at all, I don't think one can make that claim. Oh, but as a resident of the State of Alabama, am I not called to live under the subjection of my governing rulers and support the decision not to take in Syrian immigrants? That is where it's complicated in my mind. I'm not in a governing position and I do not have the same access of information that the governor has, so I'm not in any position to make or reverse a decision.
But what about the deaths of non-believers in America? Am I so willing to put their lives on the line? And that's where the issue is complicated. I can compel believers to act according to the calling with which they are called, but I don't believe that the unbelieving world has the same calling of being a living sacrifice. I cannot expect them to believe or behave the same way as me and America is far from being a Christian nation. So, I really can't make a call on our nation as a whole.
So, why write about this at all? Why possible disagree with governing authorities if there's nothing you intend to do or think you can do about it? Why admit that there isn't a call I can make for our nation as a whole? I wanted to address the attitudes of those I've seen expressed online. The attitude expressed by some of my fellow Christians bothers me. Some have acted as though American lives are more valuable than foreign lives and that simply isn't true. Some have posted articles indicating that this is part of a massive plot for terrorists to get into American by appealing to America's bleeding heart. I think it would be incredibly ignorant to say that the immigrants are all terrorists or all just peaceful families seeking asylum. It is very likely that it's a mixed bunch. So, what should we do with a mixed bunch?
I can only go back to the Biblical principles I've noted before. It doesn't make human sense to invite a threat in amongst us, but this attitude of self-preservation at the expense of others isn't right. My life is not more valuable than another mother's life with her two children and pregnant with another trying desperately to get her family to safety. I will submit to my governing authorities. I'm not going to try to bring in immigrants illegally into my state. However, I'm not going to live my life in fear instead of compassion. These families are as a deserving of safety as mine is and I'm not going to treat them less human than anyone else simply because they were born somewhere else.
