Immigration is a huge issue right now.
One group wants all illegal immigrants to return to wherever they came from. Another side says, “No, we’re a nation of immigrants; let them stay.” Some from both groups want the government to secure the borders, and then figure out what to do with those who are in the United States illegally. Many from each group wonder about what millions of new immigrants will do our economy, our schools, our hospitals, and our welfare system.
All sides of the debate seem to have “God” on their sides, and all have their favorite Bible verses to quote.
This is one of those times that I wish Jesus was still around so that we could post the question to Him.
Of course, even if we did ask Jesus, I wonder if we would get a “helpful” answer. Jesus always had a way of sidestepping the big debate points, and focusing instead on what was really at stake.
Jesus would probably do the same with immigration reform and amnesty. Jesus would come up with an approach that looks like Him. That is, a way that somehow both abides by the law and provides jobs and care to those who need it.
So as I try to figure out what my stance on immigration and amnesty should be, I find myself trying to find an approach that looks the most like Jesus. Below is my attempt (please provide your OWN input in the comment section below).
Jesus and the Constitution
Jesus probably wouldn’t care too much about issues related to the constitutionality of amnesty for immigrants.
Frankly, according to the constitution, Obama had no legal right to do what he did. Everybody know this, as he himself has previously stated.
But Jesus likely wouldn’t comment on this. Remember, Jesus lived in an era when two Caesars in a row had effectively “wiped their arses” with the Roman constitution by removing all power from the Roman Senate and consolidating that power in themselves. The first was Julius Caesar and the second was Caesar Augustus.
It appears that Jesus pretty much just shrugged His shoulders and lived within the new order that had resulted from this fundamental transformation of the Roman Empire. I suspect He would do the same today were He an American citizen living under the reign of a “Constitutional Scholar” who ignores much of the Constitution.
You can probably see where my feelings lie, but we’ll put that aside…
What about the issue of money and the economy? What will happen if we add 5 million new workers to the system?
Jesus and the Economy
Again, one side of the debate says it will be good to have 5 million new tax-paying people. Right now they are working and not getting taxed. If we add them, then we can tax them. The other side of the debate says, “Tax them!? They won’t be taxed. Most of these immigrants have low-wage jobs. They won’t be making enough to get taxed. Therefore, instead of paying into the system, they will drain it. They will get the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, Social Security benefits, Medicare, and Welfare.”
If Jesus were asked, He would probably say something like “Give to Obama what is Obama’s and give to God what is God’s.” People would shake their heads and say, “Whatever that means…”
The point is that Jesus would probably not weigh in on the tax benefits or tax liability of granting amnesty to immigrants. Jesus’ basic approach to taxes seemed to be this: “It’s just money. What matters most is what you do with your life.”
He likely would not have cared too much that adding millions of low-payed workers to the citizenry would do very little to add tax revenue to the governmental coffers while at the same time, adding great expense and cost to the education, health, medicaid, medicare, social security, and welfare systems.
He would likely point out that these were all bankrupt anyway, and we shouldn’t put our trust in government programs.
Maybe He would wonder why new immigrants were only getting low-paying jobs. But when the “Raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour!” crowd starts cheering, Jesus would not side with them either, pointing out that requiring businesses to pay their workers more only puts more workers out of work.
Probably, Jesus would call on business owners and CEO’s of companies to become more generous with their money, for you cannot legislate generosity.
But the real question then comes back around to immigration reform…
Jesus and Immigration Reform
What would Jesus do about immigration reform?
I suspect that if asked, Jesus would bring out an family of illegal immigrants and say, “I forgive you.”
The liberals in the crowd would huff and puff and say, “He forgives them? What audacity! They haven’t done anything wrong! They are only here because they want a better life and our country has abused and misused them for far too long! Forgive them indeed! They should be forgiving us!”
The conservatives in the crowd would also be indignant. “Forgive them? You can’t forgive them. You have no right to forgive them. They have broken federal laws, which cannot be simply forgiven by some religious teacher. We can either enforce the laws or change the laws, but we cannot simply forgive people who break the laws!”
Then Jesus would turn and say to those on the left, “I have not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. You believe they have a right to be here, to get jobs, and to feed their families. That is well and good. So you give them something to eat. You provide for their needs. Do not force others to take care of their needs; you take care of them yourself.”
And just as those on the right were starting to smile smugly to themselves, Jesus would turn to them and simply say, “Let him who is without sin take this family back across the border.” Then Jesus would pull out his iPad and start scrolling through Facebook messages and Twitter feeds of those who were standing by. He would load up items they had purchased on Amazon, and webpages they had visited. One by one, the conservatives in the crowd would melt away until none were left. Then Jesus would turn to the family of immigrants who stood nearby and say to them, “Are there none here to escort you back across the border? Then neither will I escort you. Go and live according to the law.”
What’s the point?
The point is this: Immigrants are already here. It is neither wise nor possible to round up all illegal immigrants and send them back across the border.
The liberals are right that these immigrants should be taken care of. But they are wrong in trying to force all people to take care of them. Jesus affirms their feelings about immigrants, but tells them to practice it themselves rather than force their feelings on everyone else.
The conservatives are right that the immigrants have broken the law. By the letter of the law, they should be rounded up and deported. But they are wrong in thinking that the law trumps love. It doesn’t. Jesus affirms their feelings about the necessity of obeying the law, but puts the law of love above the law of of man.
Jesus wouldn’t even speak about the constitution or the economy. These things change and shift all the time. But the love of God is eternal. Money comes and goes, as do rules, laws, and governments. But the love of God is eternal.
This is why Jesus would focus on love.
What to Focus on with Immigration and Amnesty
Will amnesty hurt our economy? Maybe. Maybe not.
Will amnesty cause unemployment to rise? Maybe. Maybe not.
Will amnesty create millions of new Democratic voters? Maybe. Maybe not.
Jesus does not ever address these sorts of issues, because Jesus doesn’t care about hypothetical “what ifs” about the future.
Jesus always and only cares about one thing: the person in need who is standing right in front of him.
However you feel about immigration reform and amnesty, Jesus invites you to do one thing: Keep your eyes open for immigrants in your community, and then look for ways to love them. Whether the government decides to legalize them or deport them, your only responsibility is love.
Immigrants arriving on our shores (whether legally or not) don’t need screaming crowds and waving signs (from either perspective). They need love, just like the rest of us. This is how immigration reform and amnesty look like Jesus.
Agree? Disagree? Have something to add? Let’s hear it in the comments below!
And again, maybe the Grand Jury will uncover some evidence which proves that Darren Wilson was racist, and if so, such actions and behavior can be rightly condemned by those who follow Jesus.
I have long hair.
Looking like Jesus means that we will not stand out in a crowd for how we are dressed or what we are saying, but will get noticed because of what we stand up for—or more precisely, who we stand up for.
