A Christian Response to Immigration

I want to speak to something that feels very close to the heart of Jesus, yet very heavy on the hearts of many in our country. 

• We are living in a moment when immigration is constantly in the news…
• A moment when people are crossing borders out of fear, desperation, hunger, and war…
• A moment when political rhetoric is louder than compassion…
• A moment when human beings—made in God’s image—are being spoken about as problems, threats, or burdens.

But before we listen to the voices on the news, we must listen to the voice of our Savior. Jesus was once asked, “Who is my neighbor?” And, as He so often does, Jesus answered the wrong question. Instead of telling us who qualifies as a neighbor, He showed us how to become one.

Today we ask: How does a follower of Jesus treat the immigrant, the refugee, the stranger at our door?

Before we talk about policy, we talk about people. Behind every border crossing is a story:

Some flee violence.

• Civil wars. Gangs. Political persecution.
• Parents watching their children grow up in fear.
• Families escaping countries where the government can no longer protect them, or has become the threat itself.

Some flee economic collapse.

• Venezuela’s currency has become nearly worthless.
• Haiti’s economy has collapsed under gang rule and repeated natural disasters.
• Families face hunger—not figuratively, but literally.

Some flee war.

• Ukrainian families.
• Afghans who helped U.S. troops.
• People who watched their communities turn to rubble.

Some flee environmental devastation.

• Crops failing in Central America due to drought.
• Hurricanes destroying Caribbean islands.
• Farming families whose land can no longer sustain life.

Some simply want to reunite with family.

• A mother hoping to see her son.
• A grandparent wanting to live near grandchildren.
• A husband or wife seeking to rebuild a home together.

These are not stories of “others.” They are stories of people like us.

But how are immigrants are being perceived and treated today?

In the United States today, immigrants—especially those arriving at the southern border—are often seen through lenses of fear, suspicion, and frustration. Many are labeled as invaders, criminals, or drains on society. They are talked about more than they are talked with.

And current national policies reflect this climate:

• Asylum decisions have been paused, leaving people in limbo—fleeing danger yet unable to move forward.
• Humanitarian programs for Afghans, Ukrainians, and families from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have been shut down or rolled back, leaving hundreds of thousands unsure whether they will be allowed to stay.
• Refugee admissions have been drastically reduced, even as global displacement reaches record highs.
• Enforcement is increasing in workplaces, neighborhoods, even previously “protected” places like schools and churches.
• Communities of immigrants feel fear—fear of separation, deportation, loss of work authorization, or even arrest.

Whether we agree or disagree with these policies, we must see the impact: Real families. Real children. Real human beings created in the image of God are bearing the weight.

The church cannot be silent about human dignity.

How are followers of Jesus called to respond? We must look to Scripture, not cable news. We do not take our cues from political parties; we take them from Jesus.

First, God commands compassion for the stranger. Leviticus 19 says:

When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

—Leviticus 19:33-35

Not: “tolerate foreigners.”

Not: “assess foreigners.”

Love them. As yourself. Why? Because Israel was once an immigrant people. And so were many of our families.

Second, Jesus identifies Himself with the immigrant. In Matthew 25, Jesus says:

“I was a stranger, and you took me in.”

To welcome the stranger is to welcome Christ. To reject the stranger is to reject Christ. That is not a metaphor. That is Jesus’ own teaching.

Third, the Good Samaritan shows us the heart of Jesus. When Jesus told the story, He made the hero:

• A foreigner
• A religious outsider
• A cultural enemy

And He said:

“Go and do likewise.”

The Samaritan did not ask:

• “Are you legal?”
• “Are you deserving?”
• “Are you from my tribe?”

He saw a wounded person. He stopped. He helped. He loved.

Fourth, Jesus reminds us that love is the greatest commandment. When asked the greatest law, Jesus paired two:

Love God.

Love your neighbor.

We cannot love God while ignoring the suffering of our neighbors—no matter where they come from, what language they speak, or what status they hold.

So, what does this means for Christians? First, we see immigrants not as issues but as image-bearers. Every immigrant—documented or undocumented——refugee or asylum seeker——neighbor or newcomer—is someone God dearly loves.

Second, we speak with compassion in a world that often speaks in fear. Our words matter. Our tone matters. Our witness matters.

• When the world speaks about immigrants with anger, the church speaks with mercy.
• When the world speaks with suspicion, the church speaks with understanding.
• When the world speaks in categories, the church speaks in names.

Third, practice hospitality. Hospitality is not a program—it is a posture. How do we practice it?

• Welcome immigrant families when they join our community.
• Support local ministries that serve refugees.
• Partner with organizations providing legal aid or ESL classes.
• Build friendships across language and culture.
• Pray for families living in the shadows.
• Stand beside those who are afraid.

Fourth, Christians bear witness to a different Kingdom. The Kingdom of God does not have borders or visa categories. It has one law:

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.”

— John 13:34

The church does not need permission from the government to love our neighbors. The church does not need a policy to show compassion. The church does not wait for a consensus to do justice. Christians follow Jesus—full stop.

Inclosing, the church does not control national immigration policy. The church does not write laws. The church does not set quotas. But the church does control its witness.

Christians control how they speak. Christians control how they welcome. Christians control how they love. The question Jesus asks is not: “Are they legal?”

The question Jesus asks is: “Will you be their neighbor?”

May we be a church that answers that question with our lives.

Loving God,

You are the One who watches over every journey—the journeys we choose and the journeys we never wanted to make. Today we lift before You all who walk the hard road of displacement, all who leave behind homes, families, and familiar places in search of safety, dignity, and hope.

Open our eyes, Lord, to see immigrants and refugees as You see them—not as strangers or problems, but as Your beloved children, carrying stories of sorrow, courage, and longing.

Soften our hearts where fear has taken root. Quiet our spirits where anger has grown loud. Help us to speak with compassion in a world filled with harsh words, and to live with hospitality in a world that often turns people away.

Make us neighbors, Lord Jesus—neighbors like the Good Samaritan, neighbors who stop, who see, who care. Let Your Spirit guide us to welcome those who cross our paths and to stand beside those who feel alone or unwelcome.

Teach us to love as You have loved us, to show mercy as You have shown mercy, and to build community that reflects Your Kingdom—a Kingdom with room enough for all.

Send us out now in Your peace, with courage to do justice, with hearts shaped by compassion, and with the grace to love every person we meet as if we were loving You.

In the name of Jesus, our Lord, our Brother, and our example of perfect love, we pray. Amen.

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