Immigration

I was writing something on Uriah the Hittite the other day, and was struck by the implications for how the people of God approach the immigrant.

Now, in the case of Uriah, we see someone clearly ingrafted into the covenant community, even one of David’s “mighty men,” and yet it is still deemed necessary to identify him as a Hittite. There may be many reasons for this, but one purpose it serves is to show how this individual — ingrafted into the family of God — acts far more honorably than any of the others mentioned in the story who end up being explicitly or implicitly responsible for this honorable man’s murder.

As a country, there may be reasons for determining who can and cannot be part of the national fabric, but as Christians, we must recall that our God is not subject to borders. What’s more, our nation’s history of immigration policy is incredibly racist, with those excluded at any given point in history reflecting the prejudices of the day. Most recent policy debates would make you think the United States only had one land border with another country, as immigration policy always has far more to do with our southern border than our northern one.

As we engage in immigration policy debates, we would do well to do so with God’s heart for all His people, irrespective of nation, tribe, or tongue. As in the case of Uriah, we know of many immigrants serving their chosen country honorably…let us hope we can treat them with greater respect than Uriah was shown for his unwavering loyalty and service!