As a people who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus, we have to ask ourselves the origin of the anti-immigrant bias that permitted the rise of the massive deportation policy of the U.S. government. Although the leaders of some other Western countries may not claim to be as Christian as do our elected politicians, the rise in anti-immigrant policy is a hallmark of nationalist and right wing politicians.
No question that many immigrants are in the U.S. and other Western countries due to a mixture of economic and political reasons. Previously colonized countries are struggling for both economic and political stability. People don’t leave their homes unless they feel there is no hope or way to support their families. Economics and politics are always closely intertwined.
More than the price of strawberries, immigrants here in the U.S. supply labor that many natives are unwilling to do. That includes caring for children and the elderly. But the new anti-immigrant bias is more than this. It is based on race and ethnicity, the fear of losing power and control. As we and other Western nations turn more inward, we lose more than immigrant labor. We lose who and what we claim to be. We lose our souls.
Prayer for the Day
Unsettled, we chafe at the commands of Scripture,
Telling us to welcome the stranger;
Rejecting the newcomers who work and struggle,
We speak pious words without meaning in our lives.
Forgive us and open us to the new freedom given us,
So we are more like Jesus, responding in love and courage
In the name of the Model for our lives,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
On only one occasion does the Hebrew Bible command us to love our neighbor, but in 37 places we are commanded to love the stranger. The stranger is the one we are commanded to love because he is not like ourselves.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, British rabbi (1948-2020)
Remember, remember always, that the vast majority of us, you and I especially, are descended from immigrants.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President (1882-1944)
Let mutual affection continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Letter to the Hebrews 13: 1-2