REPUBLISHED FROM THE NORTH CHURCH, MOUNDS VIEW, MN
With all that is happening in the news and community, I want to share a few thoughts related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and protests in Minnesota.
This is an issue that touches us on various levels. We drive downtown through some of the neighborhoods experiencing protests. Some of us work with legal refugees through Arrive Ministries and have heard about their fears. Some of us are friends with immigrants through our ESL ministry, who are anxious. Some of us know of those with complicated legal status, such as youth brought into the U.S. as minors who are undocumented. Some have friends with temporary status who are living with fear and anxiety. Some have family who work in law enforcement, EMS, the National Guard, and perhaps even with ICE. We want them to be safe and to come home at night.
While this can feel like a highly charged and thorny issue, let me draw out several truths from the Bible that help us think biblically about this situation.
1. Everyone is Made in God’s Image | God creates mankind in his own image (Gen 1:27). This means immigrants, refugees, those without legal status, and ICE officers are all made in the image of God. We should pray for the physical protection of all involved, for justice to be applied fairly, for peace to reign in our Twin Cities, and for our laws to be justly enforced. At the same time, we can pray against cruelty, violence, and chaos. May we not lose our humanity in the midst of challenging times.
2. Law and Mercy Are Not At Odds | Israel is told not to take advantage of the vulnerable (Ex 22:21). Unfortunately, many in our country have exploited the vulnerable in illegal immigration. Traffickers transport people across borders for profit. Some leverage an immigrant’s status to commit fraud. Some capitalize on immigration to influence elections or reshape census data. Some people will exploit our broken immigration system for cheap labor or profit. Yet, as believers, we can uphold both the law and mercy. We don’t have to choose between being lawful or compassionate. We can reflect God’s mercy and compassion towards individual people—with prayer and acts of mercy—while also expecting lawful processes to unfold in our country. We can pray against miscarriages of justice. We can pray for those who have or are pursuing temporary legal status who are afraid and anxious.
3. Justice and Compassion Are Compatible | As above, justice and compassion are not at odds. We recognize that our immigration policies and enforcement have been uneven at best in the recent history of this country. Many have sought legal pathways and have benefited from assimilating into American society and culture. They embrace this country and become part of its success and prosperity. Others have pursued legal status but are stuck as they await their cases to move through an overloaded system. Yet, we also recognize that a small minority comes into the country with nefarious intentions. Let this motivate us to pray for justice to be impartial, for strangers not to be cruelly crushed, and for God’s people to be salt and light.
4. Borders Are Legitimate | The Bible assumes that nations have borders and that they are legitimate. God has “determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place” (Acts 17:26). Israel is given a defined land and borders (Num 34). It is reasonable for the United States to protect its borders and to regulate who can or cannot come into its territory.
5. Immigration Should Be Regulated | Nations have the right to regulate their immigration policies. In ancient Israel, sojourners were welcomed and protected, but were required to abide by the nation’s rules and regulations (Ex 12:49). Unfortunately, policy failures caused many of our current challenges. The United States should enforce its immigration policy justly. This is for the good of the sojourner, so that they can’t be exploited, and for the good of the country as well. Unfortunately, this has not been the case with our country for some time. Pray that this happens legally with compassion and fairness.
6. We Are Subject to Governing Authorities | Paul writes in Romans 13, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad” (Rom 13:1–3). All believers should be subject to our governing authorities, while maintaining discernment when “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). By God’s grace, there may be pathways of recourse when we believe there are unjust laws or an unfair application of the law. We can also advocate to our leaders when the law is unjust, misapplied, or unfair.
7. Pray for Our Leaders | These things are not easy or simple. You may have a different perspective from mine. You may draw out other nuances I have missed. These things are indeed complex. I urge us to pray for our leaders, “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim 2:1–2). Pray for wisdom for our President, Vice President, for those overseeing ICE, for our Minnesota State leaders, for local leaders, and for law enforcement in each of our cities, regardless of their politics and positions. Pray also for those living in fear to know the peace of Christ.
At times like this, I am thankful that my hope and faith are not rooted in this world. My hope rests in Jesus Christ and his inbreaking kingdom. Let your heavenly citizenship enable you to be of much earthly good. The best thing we can do is pray—we call upon the limitless power of our heavenly Father and ask the Spirit to intervene in our lives and world. We can ask him to do far more than we can ask or imagine for the good of the United States. We can engage with compassion, clarity, and truth from God’s word as we talk with friends, coworkers, neighbors, and family. And, we can believe that even in this, God is working all things together for good for those who are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).
Firmly stayed on Jesus,
Pastor Steven Lee, M.Div. ’12
Trustee, Bethlehem College and Seminary
Pastor for Preaching and Vision, The North Church