I remember so many occasions when I was a stranger in a foreign land. I traveled over Latin America and the rest of the world as a missionary with the International Mission Board, serving as a consultant in the use of radio, films and television. Often I would arrive in a country when it was not possible for someone to meet me. Being able to speak the language was helpful in Latin America, but in other parts of the world that would not be the case. It is sometimes a lonely and lost feeling to confront a culture and to feel in many ways unwelcome or ignored, to be a stranger and there was no one to take me in and share with me Christian hospitality. However, I always entered those countries with a proper permission in the form of a visa.
The big debate right now is not about immigration, since I feel most still welcome strangers to our shores. It is about illegal immigration. After all is said and done, there is nothing that gives anyone the right to enter the United States illegally. Even so, what are churches to do when confronted with the mandate and teachings of Jesus?
In chapter 25 of Matthew, Jesus shared the fact that when his disciples had fed the poor and provided water for the thirsty, comfort for the sick, fellowship with those who were prisoners and hospitality to those who were strangers, they had done it to him also. When Jesus said, “ I was a stranger and you took me in,” the word he used can be translated as “stranger” or “foreigner.” The origin of the word actually has two sides to it. On the one side it can refer to those in our midst who are “outsiders,” “foreigners,” “aliens.” On the other hand, it can also refer to one who is a guest. Obviously, how it is taken depends on the response of those who were the residents of the culture into which they had come.
In Matthew 25, Jesus actually refers to his own person as the “stranger,” the “foreigner.” He had come from another place, the very throne of God, into the world. He is a stranger who we take in and embrace as Lord. At the same time he is an immigrant, legal or otherwise. He established there is no one who will be our enemy. An enemy is one that we hate the most by just ignoring him and treating him as if he did not exist, as if he were not a fellow human being. For the church, Jesus would command us to love “strangers” unconditionally.
Into our culture and close to our churches many come, and based on our response they are either “guests” or “foreigners.” Most are from Latin America.
Much of what they experience is what a stranger might experience in any country. All around them is a reciprocal tension. The “outsider” is a stranger, hard to understand, under suspicion. On the other hand, to the “stranger” the odd and different environment is also disturbing and threatening. This results in a kind of mutual fear. Our fear concerning immigrants to our nation is focused on the huge increase in illegal immigrants. Restrictions have begun to increase, and along with it some ethnic profiling, causing Latin Americans to fear. Even those who are here legally find it difficult. They are cautious about where they drive and purchase goods. Some who are Christians are fearful of going to worship on Sunday for fear there will be those there to check their legality when they exit.
Personally, I support the laws of the land that prohibit strangers or foreigners to be here without our permission as with a proper visa or working papers. However, as the Church of Jesus Christ, I hardly see how we can ignore them either, treat them as enemies and refuse to share with them Christ-like hospitality. Jesus calls us to do justice with mercy. We are the body of Christ who are sent by our Lord into the world to present his gospel to all peoples. The church cannot think we have the responsibility, the mandate to send missionaries to become aliens and foreigners in another land and while there present the gospel, and then in turn say we will do nothing while there are people groups from those same lands living in our midst who need our hospitality and the gospel of salvation. The church must support our government in its efforts to do something about illegal immigrants. At the same time we know our Lord would not hesitate to do all he could to heal, assist and share the gospel with all who were within his reach. Can we in our churches do any less?
Alan Compton is a former missionary and administrator of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board, now retired and involved in outreach to Latin Americans.