By Christopher Robertson
Immigration reform has been mainly an abstract concern for many Americans for years. But now, the country has a chance to enact real reform for real people — the children of illegal immigrants.
For nearly a decade Congress has discussed the DREAM Act — but with little movement on the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) promised to bring the proposal up during Congress’s lame-duck session that began Nov. 15. While the DREAM Act died in the Senate just weeks ago, it only needs 60 votes to beat a filibuster in the chamber.
We should hope it does. What has been a concern for many Americans should be of utmost concern for Christians, especially now.
The DREAM Act would allow immigrants who came to the country in their youth to receive permanent legal residency if they stay out of trouble and obtain a college degree or serve in the military for two years. For those that qualify, it would also allow them to obtain in-state tuition for college. To qualify, one must have entered the country before age 16 and be younger than 35 now. They must also be “of good moral character” and have lived in the country for five years. If you meet these criteria, you are granted “conditional” residency for six years so you can complete a college degree or serve in the military.
This may be a new way to obtain citizenship, but it is not a bad way. In fact, I believe it could be a Christian way.
Many Americans, including Christians, have seen immigrants as strangers in our land. At times we have been more fearful than loving, even though love for the stranger is central to our Christian faith. In light of the DREAM Act, it is time to reflect on how we view immigrants and the stranger.
While we are Americans, we are first and foremost Christians, and as followers of Christ, we are to love all people just as Jesus does, unconditionally. We are to be the kind of people that open our doors to the stranger instead of shutting them. We are to show others hospitality, a word that means “love of the stranger.”
Jesus came to Earth and inaugurated the reign of God, and he showed us what the Kingdom of God looked like in its fullness. It is a Kingdom of love, peace, and inclusion. The Kingdom is a place where everyone is invited to the table. There is no “us” or “them.” It is simply “us” — humans made in the image of God. There are no strangers in God’s Kingdom. We are family!
Gabriel Salguero, pastor of The Lamb’s Church in New York and director of the Hispanic Leadership program at Princeton Theological Seminary, spoke at McAfee School of Theology recently on the topic of immigration reform. During his presentation, he said, “I don’t just want to be tolerated. I want to be celebrated!” In other words, it is not enough to invite me into your home because you have to; invite me into your home because you want to. Appreciate me. Care for me. Love me.
This is the cry of all people, not just immigrants. All people want to be loved and celebrated.
We are blessed to serve a God that does just that. God loves us and celebrates us, and God invites us to love and celebrate all people as well. This is what a good neighbor does. In the Gospel of Luke, we find the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. A lawyer asks Jesus, “Who is a neighbor?” Jesus responds to this question with the story of the Good Samaritan, and he then asks the lawyer, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
Jesus subtly shifts the focus from what a neighbor looks like, and asks the man if he is a neighbor to others. With this parable, Jesus slips a mirror in front of our face and reminds us that we are neighbors called to love everyone we see. The question then arises: Are we loving everyone we see? And, are we loving the stranger?
With the DREAM Act, we have a wonderful opportunity to be a loving neighbor. When it comes to immigration reform, the DREAM Act is a step in the right direction. It promotes peace, reconciliation and inclusion — all values of God’s Kingdom.
So, let us raise our voice on behalf of immigrants and seek out immigration reform that is consistent with our Christian values. Let us support the DREAM Act, and in doing so, bring God’s Kingdom to Earth as it is in heaven.