The immigration debate is one that only seems to be getting more complex and contentious. Scripture has a long history of immigrants and foreigners. Danny Carroll looks at what we can learn from Biblical history about reaching out to immigrants.
“You’re seeing it in Europe, you’re seeing it within Latin America, and, of course, you see it in the Bible too. Foreigners, whether you’re talking about the Egyptians, the Israelites in Exodus 1, or look at what happened to Daniel, they wanted to eliminate them.”
The Old Testament, in particular, offers a great way for us to view, care for, and understand those who are migrating. Danny reflects on God’s heart for immigrants,
“In Deuteronomy 10:17-19, God commands His people to love the foreigner because He does, and not to forget that they were once foreigners in a foreign land too. What you see is this command in the Old Testament to take care of those who are vulnerable and who are migrating, whether it’s because of hunger or warfare.”
“The Old Testament is full of stories of migration. We find them in Genesis and the Exodus, the move across Sinai over into the Promised Land, and then the exiles. This is the story of the people of God in the Old Testament.”
Our immigrant brothers and sisters in Christ are reading the exact same passages through a different lens.
“As I know immigrants and talk to immigrants, what they find in the Scriptures are stories of migration that in many ways parallel their own.”
“What I find sometimes for the majority culture, you’re trying to use the Bible to show that God loves vulnerable people, and that includes immigrants. On the other hand, if you are an immigrant you would begin to see that in the Bible that God actually cares about you and that He is concerned about you.”
God has a heart to care for the vulnerable and we are called to do the same. Scripture provides an accurate reflection of God’s heart for immigrants and defines our role when it comes to reaching the newcomer for Christ.
Danny Carroll R. has been involved in issues related to Hispanic immigration for many years and attends an Hispanic church. The fact that he is comfortable in both Hispanic and Anglo cultures helps Danny bring an irenic spirit and lots of personal experience to the immigration discussion. He is Blanchard Professor of Old Testament in the Graduate School of Wheaton College. He is author of .
God's heart for the immigrant
