President Richard Nixon explained his view of presidential authority in an interview with David Frost. As Frost pressed the former president about his questionable actions President Nixon responded, “When the President does it that means it’s not illegal.” A collective gasp of unbelief could be heard throughout the nation. Nixon appeared to suggest that the President of the United States is above the law.
Under our constitutional form of government all three branches have limits – that’s how the constitution was written – to limit the power of government. President Obama’s executive action may well be beyond his legal authority, but that’s not my concern here.
I know many “undocumented workers.” Frankly, if I lived in the politically and economically challenged nations south of the USA, I would want to be here as well. The men and women I know who are in the USA illegally work hard to support their families and send thousands of dollars a year to family members back home.
As I listen to the raging political debate about the issue of immigration I must turn to the teaching of Scripture:
When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 19:33-34).
The words of the Levitical law are transformational – a stranger becomes a brother.
In fact, the status of “alien” is a common metaphor throughout the Biblical narrative. The people of Israel were aliens in Egypt. Moses was an alien in the land of Midian (Exodus 2:15, 22; Acts 7:29). The Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and the child Jesus were aliens in Egypt (Matthew 2:14-15). All of the people of God are “strangers and aliens” scattered throughout the world (Ephesians 2:19: 1 Peter 1:1). As aliens in this present age the people of God live “by faith… as in a foreign land… looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:9-10). The promise of the gospel is that strangers and aliens shall become “fellow citizens with the saints… of God’s household” (Ephesians 2:19).
The people who have wandered into our nation are our brothers and sisters. They are looking to make a better life for themselves. As long as they work hard and live in peace we must be careful to do them no wrong, protect their civil liberties, and offer them the opportunities of liberty.
Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:1-2).
We must leave the legal matters to the politicians. Congress and the President must negotiate in good faith for the well being of the nation. But the mission of Jesus Christ is not subject to the politics of any nation. I choose love and hospitality.
