Arizona is making all the news lately with new immigration laws and protests. I have to admit I haven't paid attention to the news in the past few weeks and don't know much about what Arizona has done but it obviously has some folks riled up. Illegal immigration has become a hot-button issue since the past election and while I am certainly not a scholar on the subject, I have been thinking about what my response to the issue should be.
As a white man in America who has a good job and pays more taxes than I think I should, it is easy to be upset about these people sneaking into our country and using our resources without paying taxes and, in fact, getting a free ride on the back of my tax dollars. From that perspective, it's easy to get bent out of shape over illegal immigration.
As a Christian, I see opportunity. Opportunity to help people who are fleeing something that isn't what they want, fleeing something that has oppressed them or prevented them from being who they can be and I have knowledge of something that they might want - Christ. I see opportunity to not only help them find a better life in this world but maybe even minister to them and help them find an opportunity greater than anything the United States can offer them. Opportunity to be Christ-like towards them, to feed them and clothe them and give them shelter.
The trick is that taking the opportunity requires something of me while complaining about tax dollars allows me to stay insulated in my cozy cocoon.
What would Christ have me do?
Grace and peace to you.
3 comments:
I'm not sure either, Jeff. My gut says "Not fair." My heart says "Give them a fair chance." I do wonder if Christ would find their entry justified because the opportunity is better here or would he encourage them to turn themselves in and follow the proper channels. I just don't know what to think.
I have been involved with housing, feeding and talking about Christ with illegal immigrants and it is very rewarding at times and extremely frustrating at other times. In one instance a small church was started but then on the other side of the coin our property was totally destroyed in a raid that rounded up those that were in the country illegally. My experience says that you show Christ at all times to all people but you also have to encourage obeying the laws of the land (which is Christ-like). The problem we face in the USA is the lack of ability (or willingness) to enforce the immigration laws.
I always like hands-on responses. I think Travis says well what so many of us are thinking and Shannon does an excellent job stating what we can do...to show Christ to all people and encourage them to obey the laws of the land.
Thanks guys!
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