I see a family walking. It’s cold outside. The kids are laughing, the parents are longing – longing for a different life. Moving to York was exciting. They believed they would find a better job, a better education, and a better life for their children. The new language is tough and there is not much time to study. The jobs don’t pay what they’d hoped. It is hard living in fear of deportation.
Across the street a middle-aged man is going to the market. It’s the middle of the day, but his schedule is flexible now that he lost his job. 20 years at the factory, he thought his work was secure, then the economy tanked. He called all his contacts, but there are no jobs. Temp agencies are flooded. Working hard barely equals the unemployment check he receives. And when he tried to go back into construction he could not compete because undocumented crews could under bid every contract. These are hard times.
Immigration affects all of you. The issue is complex. How should the Christian community respond? We are caught in the tension.
Romans 13:1 “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.”
Leviticus 19:34 “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
On one side we realize our call to live in submission to our governing authorities. That means we understand the law of the land and seek to live at peace. On the other side we realize we were all immigrants at one point. Our identity makes us responsible to be hospitable to strangers and aliens. Is our hospitality limited to legal immigrants? How does this affect the way we vote, the way we shop, and who we hire? How should we move forward? What do we do with undocumented aliens who support our current economy? Do we deport or grant amnesty?
Logos Academy is a community school. We are engaging pressing issues in our city by hosting a discussion. This month we are thinking through immigration. People from both sides of the debate will participate in a civil conversation. The goal is to explore the issues, examine the tensions, and consider a wise response. Join us Saturday, February 4, from 8-10am for our next Community Conversation at Logos Academy.
Ben Murray, Community Development Coordinator at Logos Academy
