This clip from my seminary’s “Wisdom Wednesday” series deals with the biblical notions of mercy and security how they influence our immigration discussion. I do not attempt to propose a particular policy solution to the current crisis; that is the work of practitioners and experts in the areas of immigration policy, international relief, and national security. Those decisions will take wisdom and careful attention to the details of the situation, but those decisions must be based on firm commitment to universal human rights, the dignity of humanity made in the image of God, the call to love the least, and the role of government in protecting its citizenry.
See World Poverty, Immigration , and Gumballs (NumbersUSA.com) by Roy Beck for a good visual on how little an impact US immigration policies have had or even could have.
Thanks, Elizabeth. There are no doubt considerable limitations to what we can accomplish through immigration. Understanding the biblical notion of universal human dignity means that we mustn’t think the current refugee crisis begins and ends with immigration solutions, but I think we can agree that when Christians think about immigration policy, we should consider it in light of biblical principles like mercy and security.