Special Message - Jesus the Immigrant
Published: 2/15/2006
We're in the Sundays after Epiphany, that time after Christmas. What did Jesus and the Holy Family do right after Christmas? They became refugees, immigrating to Egypt, fleeing an oppressive government at home. If Egypt, for all of its pagan limits, had not received Jesus, Mary and Joseph and protected them, then our salvation would have been jeopardized. That's why Christians have a peculiar slant on issues of immigration. We know the story of Jesus the refugee. Our Lord has commanded us to receive the sojourner, the alien within our gates, remembering that all of us were alienated from God until Jesus showed us hospitality.Among Alabama United Methodists, we have had some of our most astounding evangelistic success among Spanish-speaking persons. These sisters and brothers not only found America but also Methodism. The recipient of this year's Denman Evangelism award is one of our Spanish-speaking pastors who is being unfairly harassed by the INS, costing us much in church dollars to keep him working for Jesus in the U.S.
Alas, some politicians are attempting to make political hay by making life more difficult for the newest Americans by linking fear of immigration with fear of terrorism. In December the House of Representatives passed HR 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, despite the opposition of many churches. The bill is now in the Senate and may be considered by the Judiciary committee as early as March 2nd.
It looks to me like this bill is not only mean spirited but also that it fails to address comprehensive immigration reform. It doesn't include any provision for a guest worker program, an earned legalization program, nor a reduction in the backlogs for family-based immigration. Instead, the bill criminalizes undocumented people for unlawful presence in the United States, and criminalizes people who work or volunteer with faith-based organizations like ours for helping someone in need, who turns out to be undocumented. Personally, I like the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act (S.1033), introduced by Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Kennedy (D-MA). I have found helpful information at the faith based website: http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/action.html.
I urge all of you, as followers of Jesus Christ, the Immigrant, to examine this legislation, let your representatives know how you feel, and prayerfully consider how best to show Christian hospitality in your churches to our fellow immigrants.
William H. Willimon