People always assume their agendas are correct and are quick to accuse people who don’t agree with them as being completely godless. Not many people today really try to understand someone else’s position. They simply draw caricatures and criticize those caricatures in ways that don’t actually help anyone. They only accomplish the heightening of other’s emotions either for or against their cause, and we are left with completely unnecessary conflict.
I am not a politician. I’m not a security analyst or trade specialist. I am a pastor. So, I want to approach this question like a pastor. How do we think about the immigrant and alien in our midst?
First, I recognize the Law goes to great lengths to ensure the fair treatment of aliens in the land.
When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19:33-34).
God instructed Israel to treat foreigners like citizens. Foreigners had the same access as citizens and were subject to the same laws and standards while they were present in the land. It was unlawful for a citizen to mistreat an alien. So, they were to be treated justly under the Law like citizens were.
I believe God directly provided the national Law of Israel. I believe it stands as an example for just law-codes in every nation on the earth. The Law does not offer undying support and service to aliens. Sometimes we do because we misunderstand what it means to love people. The Law prizes fairness. It subjects aliens to the same law citizens are subject to–the same taxes and consequences when laws are broken. If an alien entered the promised land and had no regard or respect for the Law, he would be prosecuted under the Law.
Citizens could not oppress aliens. Aliens could not take advantage of the system. The sentiment of the Law seems to prize fairness and justice rather than mere acceptance of foreigners into the land. This includes migrants, refugees, diplomats, foreign nationals, and anyone else.
Second, I recognize not all aliens were welcome in the land. Israel believed God established the boundaries of nations, including their own (cf. Genesis 15; 12; Deuteronomy 32:8). The law that applied to individuals also applied to Israel as a nation.
Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary mark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen’ (Deuteronomy 27:17).
It was unlawful for anyone to move the boundaries God had set for nations. Citizens were not to take their neighbors’ property. Israel was not to expand past the boundaries God set. If anyone, a Canaanite for example, claimed part of Israel for Canaan, he was breaking the Law. Israel had the lawful privilege to defend its borders.
It seems caring for foreigners is a grayer issue than we often assume and largely depends on the biblical ideals of justice and equality rather than the worldly ideals of mere acceptance and equity. There is not a one-size-fits-all answer, and I am quite sure none of the self aggrandized social media experts on the issue actually know enough information to speak as loudly as they do or post so many memes about modern circumstances.
Biblically speaking, we know people are equal under God. God loves both justice and mercy. So, when citizens think about aliens, it should be with nothing but love. When we treat people the way we do, it should be with all the fairness, justice, and mercy we can offer.
I understand there are different political philosophies in the land that lead people to different conclusions, but the truths of biblical fairness, justice, and mercy reign supreme over our political philosophies.
In this post, you saw Biblical ideas that relate to state borders that can be applied to phenomena like colonization and border security among others. If this post inspired any questions or thoughts about any hot topic of our day, please feel free to reach out.
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