A sanctuary for immigrants
The Associated Press put the provocative headline, Churches to provide immigrants sanctuary, on my computer screen 24 minutes ago. I wanted to assume that the news story would tell a story like the Swedish immigrants to Chicago told in an earlier century. That story went something like this.
Immigrants from Sweden after arriving in America wanted to share their blessings with Swedes immigrating after them. Those first Swedish-Americans brought a Church with them and that Swedish Church built or bought apartment buildings to house later arrivals from Sweden. While staying at one of these church-owned apartments, the recently arrived immigrants were helped to learn English, find a job, and enroll their children in school as they began making the necessary adjustments needed for their new lives in the United States.
After a short immersion into the American society and culture, those families would move out of the Church-owned apartments and another Swedish immigrant family would move in. They, the earliest Swedish immigrants, supported the Evangelical Free Church that in turn gave aid, a safe place, and encouragement to new arrivals.
Who could be against the kind of "sanctuary" ministry to immigrants? Not me.
But the AP story was not about churches following the model of immigrant Swedes. Instead, it reports that one congregation of different denominations offers safe haven to one immigrant who broke the nation's laws to get here. The purpose of this new "sanctuary" ministry is not to teach English; not to assist the immigrant in finding employment; not to help transition into a new culture and society; not to explain the laws of the land, but to avoid arrest.
Should a congregation protect a law-breaker? Should a congregation itself break the law?
The Bible says both yes and no to questions about lawbreaking and lawbreakers. Romans, chapter 13, says to obey the governing authorities and Revelation, chapter 13, says a governing authority can be evil and those who obey an evil authority will be at war with God.
A few decades ago, churches and generous Americans "adopted" hundreds and thousands of Southeastern Asian families, made their path to assimilation navigable, and affirmed again that America is a land of opportunity and freedom.
We sometimes have to learn from our mistakes, but couldn't we also learn from our successes?
Immigrants from Sweden after arriving in America wanted to share their blessings with Swedes immigrating after them. Those first Swedish-Americans brought a Church with them and that Swedish Church built or bought apartment buildings to house later arrivals from Sweden. While staying at one of these church-owned apartments, the recently arrived immigrants were helped to learn English, find a job, and enroll their children in school as they began making the necessary adjustments needed for their new lives in the United States.
After a short immersion into the American society and culture, those families would move out of the Church-owned apartments and another Swedish immigrant family would move in. They, the earliest Swedish immigrants, supported the Evangelical Free Church that in turn gave aid, a safe place, and encouragement to new arrivals.
Who could be against the kind of "sanctuary" ministry to immigrants? Not me.
But the AP story was not about churches following the model of immigrant Swedes. Instead, it reports that one congregation of different denominations offers safe haven to one immigrant who broke the nation's laws to get here. The purpose of this new "sanctuary" ministry is not to teach English; not to assist the immigrant in finding employment; not to help transition into a new culture and society; not to explain the laws of the land, but to avoid arrest.
Should a congregation protect a law-breaker? Should a congregation itself break the law?
The Bible says both yes and no to questions about lawbreaking and lawbreakers. Romans, chapter 13, says to obey the governing authorities and Revelation, chapter 13, says a governing authority can be evil and those who obey an evil authority will be at war with God.
A few decades ago, churches and generous Americans "adopted" hundreds and thousands of Southeastern Asian families, made their path to assimilation navigable, and affirmed again that America is a land of opportunity and freedom.
We sometimes have to learn from our mistakes, but couldn't we also learn from our successes?
Labels: immigration sanctuary
posted by John | 1:16 PM
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