Welcome to America?

By Jessica Connor

More than 50,000 undocumented children intercepted by U.S. immigration officials just in the past year. More than that, perhaps, crossing into this nation and into the system, sometimes documented, sometimes undocumented. All searching for a better life, far from the starvation, the terror, the cycle of poverty they experienced in Honduras or Mexico or wherever else they used to call home.

Sometimes they come because their parents are already here, working the land and trying to carve out a new and better life. Some come because their parents sent them, hoping they will claw their way out from the often-hopeless existence that life in a so-called Third World country can be.

Whatever the reason, they’re here. They’re at our borders, crying out for help. And how are we responding?

As Christians, I think it’s high time we stopped worrying about our own fears and trust that God will help us find a better way. We are supposed to give of our finances without worry or question. Why not give of our land and our hospitality?

So many times, when we enter into heated debate about immigration and the border crisis and try to keep people out of this land in which we—by the grace of God—have the good fortune to live, we cite fear, chaos and lawlessness as the biggest reasons why we shouldn’t “let” someone into America.

We conveniently forget that many of our very own ancestors crossed into this nation illegally; that we took it from Native Americans by force, and here we are today, trying to keep people out because it’s now illegal. (Was it illegal to the Native Americans, I wonder?)

Let’s remember that we welcome Christ when we welcome the stranger. I pray that we can all find it in our hearts to open our arms and our nation for the good of the Kingdom.