Letter V: We Were Strangers Once – Immigration and the Kinship of Christ

To the beloved of Christ dwelling in a land of gates and walls, grace, peace, and conviction to you in the name of Jesus, who was once a refugee child and now reigns as the welcoming King.I write to you in the tension between memory and mercy.Memory, because we were once strangers.Mercy, because we are now the ones with the power to welcome.We are a nation built by migrants and shaped by exiles. Yet many in the Church have forgotten the scriptural heartbeat of hospitality. We have replaced the open table of Christ with gated communities of fear.Let us remember who our God is.The God of the sojourner.The God who walked with exiled Israel.The God who entered the world through the body of a poor, occupied woman.The God whose Son fled to Egypt to escape the wrath of an empire.To follow Jesus is to remember that He did not build fortresses. He built families.The Scriptures could not be clearer:“You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Deut. 10:19)“I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.” (Matt. 25:35b)“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers.” (Heb. 13:2a)The ethic of the kingdom is not one of seclusion, but of solidarity. Not of exclusion, but of embrace.We do not preserve our nation by abandoning our neighbor.We do not protect our faith by locking our doors.We do not love our children rightly if we ignore the children sleeping on concrete at our borders.And yet, too often, we have baptized nationalism and mistaken it for faithfulness.We have:* Elevated security over compassion.* Prioritized policy over presence.* Whispered prayers while ignoring people.This is not the way of Jesus.Jesus did not come to draw lines around citizenship; He came to tear down dividing walls (Eph. 2:14). His kingdom is not bordered by race, language, or legal status. It is defined by love that reaches across every man-made barrier.In the economy of God, the refugee is not a burden but a mirror.The migrant is not an invader but a neighbor.The stranger is not a threat but an image bearer of the divine.So I ask you, Church:* Will we be found welcoming Christ when He comes to us in unfamiliar skin?* Will we open our hearts and homes, or fortify our walls and fears?* Will we remember that the bloodline that matters most is the blood of Christ, poured out for all?This is not about politics; it is about people.It is not about borders; it is about belonging.In our cruciform life, we are not merely called to be safe. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means love in action, not just belief in theory.Hospitality is not charity; it is Christianity.So, may we repent of the ways we have rejected the Christ in our midst.May we renew our commitment to a kingdom that knows no stranger.May we welcome as we have been welcomed; extravagantly, undeservedly, and without hesitation.For that is the way of Jesus.Grace and peace to you from the One who makes strangers into family,Bruce This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bpags2.substack.com