“Doctrine” magically and mysteriously finds itself relegated to issues like the virgin birth, the atonement, and what kind of baptism ensures our salvation. All the while, topics like “sovereignty of a nation” get to stand on their own, free from the entanglements of theological exploration.

We don’t very often read our Scriptures through the lens of the immigrant experience. We don’t talk about Father Abraham and Mother Sarai as immigrants or Ruth as a refugee, or Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as slaves of the empire. American Christians don’t talk about our holy book this way because we don’t have to.