Christians, not unlike other folks, have a way of making simple things complex and easy things hard. This seems especially to be true of things we might prefer not to understand—things like social justice, our Lord’s social gospel and all the responsibilities that gospel may impose upon us.
The tendency to tie knots in our string of understanding is amplified when it is perceived that a proper understanding of an issue might cost us a little money, somehow be inconvenient, or require us to throw off some cherished bias or bigotry. It’s easy to feign confusion, declare the issues too hard to sort out and say we just don’t understand, and thereby avoid doing what we know in our hearts we should do. Our act might fool our neighbors, our friends or even ourselves, but it does not fool God.
Now, maybe you care about that, and maybe you don’t. Maybe you sincerely want to please God, and maybe you just want to avoid the consequence of doing otherwise. Maybe you think God won’t know what’s in your heart, and maybe you don’t care. It is for none of us to judge our brothers and sisters, but it is for each of us to examine ourselves. With that in mind, let’s consider a social justice issue at the forefront of today’s public discussion —how we should regard and treat undocumented immigrants living among us.
If you are a Christian or religious Jew you believe that God has spoken to man through the vehicle of the Holy Scriptures. The Old Testament book of Leviticus is generally accepted as a bona fide writing inspired of God. It speaks clearly and unequivocally to the issue of how we are to treat immigrants among us.
“When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the stranger. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you. You shall love the stranger as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)
That’s easy enough to understand, right? God has given us three simple, declarative sentences that create a template to structure our attitudes and actions toward the 15 million, mostly Hispanic, undocumented immigrants currently living among us.
First, in the plain language of the scripture, we are not to oppress them. The American Heritage Dictionary defines “oppress” in the following way:
op·press [uh-pres]
–verb (used with object)
1. to burden with cruel or unjust impositions or restraints; subject to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power: a people oppressed by totalitarianism.
2. to lie heavily upon (the mind, a person, etc.): Care and sorrow oppressed them.
3. to weigh down, as sleep or weariness does.
4. Archaic . to put down; subdue or suppress.
5. Archaic . to press upon or against; crush.
Secondly, we are to treat them just as we would citizens of our country, with all the rights privileges and benefits we afford to ourselves.
And, finally, we are to love them as we love ourselves. The requirement is not that we tolerate or grudgingly put up with them, act nice when we want to act ugly, but that we love them.
Now, that is the word of God. At least, if you are a Christian or religious Jew who regards Leviticus as the word of God, it is the word of God for you. God’s commandment is clear and unequivocal, and leaves little wiggle room for interpretation.
Just what our opinions and attitudes should be in the raging debate about undocumented immigrants becomes instantly clear when we are mindful of God’s word.
Consider the controversy arising from recent policies adopted by the State of Arizona. It’s embarrassing to argue that creating legal dragnets to capture, detain and deport undocumented immigrants is treating them “as the citizen among you.” It is, on the contrary, oppressive and a sin against God.
Withholding needed emergency medical care, education and social services from undocumented immigrants is hardly affording them the treatment afforded to citizens, and it is hardly an act of love. It is, on the contrary, oppressive, hateful, cruel and a sin against God.
Hating undocumented immigrants and wishing them ill is, of course, simply hateful. It is a sin against God.
But, what about the jobs that undocumented workers take from American citizens? What about the burden of cost put upon us to educate the children of undocumented immigrants? What about the simple fact that those who entered this country through other than proper, legal channels are here illegally? Doesn’t that make a difference?
Read the passage from Leviticus again. It conditions nothing upon our convenience, excepts nothing due to cost. Sometimes keeping God’s commandments is inconvenient. Sometimes keeping God’s commandments requires a sacrifice. Sometimes we have to forego what we want in order that others might have what they need. Our willingness to do so is the very essence of love. God’s law is not preempted by enactments of Congress.
It is all very simple, really. If we are to be God’s people we must obey God’s commandments, and His commandments regarding the strangers among us are plain. We are to welcome them as our brothers and sisters, care for them as if they were our own, and make for them a place at our table and in our hearts.
image credit: DrCuervo
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Great bibical point! Can’t wait to see if any right wing, tea party folks will care to comment.
I second that motion – GREAT points all around!