I was recently on a long drive through the middle of the US and had a lot of time to think. One thing that bothers me is seeing all these public displays of faith, like giant Mega Churches, giant billboards with biblical messages, and giant crosses on the side of the road in states that support the immigration position of the Cruz/Trump circle of friends. It bothers me because a few of those supporters that I know personally proclaim themselves to be Christians. How can that be? Jesus had a message of mercy to those around you. Immigrant took your job? You must love him or her. Illegally? Doesn’t matter: “If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:29-30). The message does not make a legal exception- the more unjust the situation is, the more of an opportunity it becomes to display your Christian virtue. But that does not happen.
You have heard the argument that we are a nation of migrants. Technically, even the native Americans were migrants. Cruz, Rubio, are the products of a system that allow them to come into a country with great opportunity. Those that they would keep out want only what they themselves received. Again the issue of legality is brought up by the defenders of such policy-- well, we make the laws; they are not enshrined in a holy temple. What should guide our laws is the question. Should we look at the job creation numbers, the wage index? Shouldn’t there be room for mercy? I believe there should be, as the majority of Americans would also, but I add that for the Christian, who professes his salvation, his transformation, his place in heaven, I believe that mercy should be the primary concern even to the detriment of all other worldly considerations like jobs and wages (often brought up as the casualties of a more open immigration policy).
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:23-35).
No law entitles someone to enter this country, but the mercy of those who made the laws does. I believe that the majority of Evangelical Christians support an immigration reform based on mercy (theatlantic.com/politics/arc … mp/403591/), but just as I would like Muslim moderates to publicly attack the corrupt beliefs of Islamicists so too do I wish that moderate evangelists would speak up against the lack of mercy of mass deportations, separation of families, and denying asylum to single mothers who risk their life because they have no other way out. Is it practical? No, but neither is Jesus message of mercy.