From Strangers to Neighbors

This year families from my church and many others put together boxes for Operation Christmas Child. On their web site, the sponsoring organization lists some of the more than 160 countries where these boxes go to be a blessing and an outreach. They also state that children in 53 hard-to-reach countries receive boxes.  

I find it fascinating that some of the countries where we send these boxes–Mexico, Columbia and Guatemala, to name a few–include countries whose residents eventually show up at our borders. What an opportunity for the gospel and for us.

Hard-to-reach countries also have residents who flee and eventually make the arduous and life-threatening journey to enter through our southern border. I met Farzaad* at a local restaurant in Texas last year. He traveled through the infamous Darien gap—a dense and dangerous rain forested region from northern Columbia into southern Panama. Robbed and held at gunpoint repeatedly during his journey, crossing crocodile-infested rivers, he travelled north, crossed into the United States and now must wait for years for his claim to asylum to be processed. 

This year my husband and I watched director Dallas Jenkins’ movie version of the book The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. In this version, Jenkins artfully enhances author Barbara Robinson’s story to bring home the message that believers absolutely ought to take on the challenge to welcome the unchurched, a task that can be messy and challenging. Jesus came to save the hard-to-love Herdman children, too.  

I haven’t been able to get this movie out of my mind as I have listened to some of the demonstrably inaccurate rhetoric about immigrants in this country. We have the opportunity to reach out face-to-face to many who need Jesus and show up at our borders. What do we say to them?  “Go home and enjoy your shoebox”? Of course not. We can follow up the gift of shoeboxes in a better way. 

How? As a nation, we do have to maintain our borders and be aware of who enters. But things are out of balance when all of our energy and resources are directed at keeping out or deporting immigrants rather than processing them and welcoming their hard work and initiative. Also, as believers, we want to extend mercy to those whose lives or livelihoods are endangered.  

In the complex world of immigration, here are some small things you can do to make a difference. 

Educate yourself. Google the Pew Research Center and read their research about immigrants and immigration. Learn the facts. 

Avoid inflamatory false posts about immigrants on social media. If you find yourself thinking, “I don’t know who to believe,” then don’t share. You wouldn’t share gossip about a fellow church member. Don’t share gossip on social media about immigrants.  

Be a friend. Proximity is a good antidote to fear and suspicion. It’s not necessary to know someone’s legal status to be their friend. Visit an immigrant or invite them for a cup of tea. Our responsibility is to welcome the stranger, not check their immigration documents. 

Help meet needs. Many communities have places to volunteer to teach immigrants English, help them with paper work, or help enroll their children in school. Assist these new residents in their journey to become productive neighbors who enrich our country. 

Let’s change the conversation around immigration from fear-based resistance to an information-based determination to welcome the strangers whom Jesus died to save. Let’s recognize and embrace the privilege of reconciling men to God, wherever in the world they originate. 

*Farzaad is an immigrant whose name has been changed. 

Image by Anali Matheus from Pixabay