“For the LORD your God is a God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore...” Deuteronomy 10.17-19

Some of us may struggle to thank God for immigrants – including “illegal aliens.” But we must not fail to thank Him – in private and in public – for what the continuing stream of immigrants to this country represents: America is still, for all our failings and shortcomings, the nation most abundantly blessed of God of all the nations of the world. And for this, every Christian should be more outspokenly grateful at every summons to thanksgiving that comes to our attention, including the present “crisis” of immigration.

The Christian community must not respond to the present crisis over immigration policy as, in the first instance, a matter of politics. If we do not lead the nation to remember that immigrants are indicators, first and foremost, of the continuing blessings of God on this nation, then we will struggle ever to be able to lead the nation in addressing public policies relating to this question from a more Biblical perspective.

Responding to the crisis of immigration with such a perspective and posture – with thanksgiving – may help us to recommend a new approach to crafting public policies more in line with the teaching of God’s Law.

Anyone can complain. Anyone can criticize. Anyone can condemn. Only the Christian, who sees the events and trials of this nation through the eyes of faith, can greet every crisis with an upturned eye and a bent knee. The “flood” of immigrants we keep hearing about is flowing this way because of the blessings of God. Insist on this, and your opinion might be greeted with wide agreement.

From there, then, you might be able to share a bit more about what this wise and good God teaches about how to deal with the immigration crisis in this blessed land.

T. M. Moore

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