The Lutheran, March 2008
A monthly column by Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson
God crosses borders
Remember the biblical stories
We traveled by train, boat, car and foot to reach the farmstead in Norway from which my great-grandmother, Kari, set out for America. My 15-year-old mind pondered why she left the beautiful Norwegian hillside overlooking the majestic fjords for the prairies of South Dakota.
My grandmother, Inga, lived with us and fascinated me with her stories. She was the first white child born in that county in South Dakota. I wondered how the American Indians received the new immigrants who settled in their land and how my ancestors regarded those who were living there. How were fears expressed? Disputes settled? Differences recognized?
Amid the contemporary debate about immigration ("The question of undocumented immigration"), it is important to share family stories of migration and immigration. Some took great risks for the sake of economic prosperity or religious freedom. Others tell of desperate acts of human survival fleeing the ravages of war, famine or the devastation of natural disasters. For countless others, displacement came because they were captured, sold and sent to live as slaves in a place called “the land of the free.”
Themes of migration, slavery, immigration and being refugees are woven into the experiences of our biblical ancestors. In Deuteronomy 26:5, God instructs the people to give the firstfruits of the land as an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord. As the priest places the offering on the altar, God instructs the people to say: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien ....” The story of slavery in Egypt follows as God hears their voices, sees their oppression, delivers them from bondage and brings them to the Promised Land.
Then, God says, “you … and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house” (Deuteronomy 26:11).
The narrative of our spiritual ancestors joins us to the migration in our midst. We should not be surprised, for this theme resounds throughout Scripture. The generosity and mercy God has shown to God’s people is what God expects us to show others. “The Levites, because they have no allotment or inheritance with you, as well as the resident aliens, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, may come and eat their fill so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work that you undertake” (Deuteronomy 14:29).
The biblical narrative is not only about a people who are driven and led, but of God, who constantly crosses borders to accompany the people to whom God is bound in words of covenantal promise. Jesus fled to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath. Jesus accompanied, forgave and healed those who were deemed outsiders. The barrier of our sin and the finality of death cannot prevent God from giving us life and salvation.
In the often rancorous debate about immigration in our country, we set aside our personal histories and neglect to remember the biblical story and God’s word of command and promise. I do not seek to minimize the complex legal and moral questions we face. Nor do I suggest that all people of faith will agree. But with our partners in ministry at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, I believe comprehensive immigration reform should be based upon these principles: protecting and uniting families; protecting human rights and worker rights; ending marginalization; and providing a path to permanence.
At the end of World War II, one out of six Lutherans in the world was a refugee. The Lutheran World Federation was born 60 years ago (in part) out of a desire to respond to refugees with hospitality and compassion. Over the years countless Lutheran congregations have sponsored and resettled refugees, supported asylum seekers and advocated for migrant laborers. This is a marvelous witness to our faith and freedom in Christ.
It is God’s work. Our hands.