While immigration debates rage in Washington, we as Lutherans work both within and outside the church to find our place in the discussion of an ever-complicating issue. And matters are not helped by the growing list of difficult facts and harsh realities which make opinions and positions difficult. We are witnessing the lines between national and international economies blur and our diverse cultures and traditions interact on global scales, all of which make questions concerning national-identity even more pressing. What does it mean to be a citizen? What should it mean to be a citizen? How do our political boundaries of "citizen" and "alien" affect the Body of Christ? With a growing number of international affiliations and memberships, the ELCA's investigation into the way we look at nationhood is all the more pressing.