Welcoming the Stranger

Several years ago I had the pleasure of attending a conference where Matthew Soerens was one of the speakers. ‘Welcoming the Stranger” a book Matt co-authored with Jenny Yang, was one of the items that I later bought and enjoyed. It should seem pretty obvious that since I was attending a conference where he was one of the speakers, that we have several common interests. Since then we’ve been in contact a couple of times, usually in the context of how I as a Christian, a pastor, and a concerned citizen could be more involved, or more of an advocate for welcoming the stranger. All of that to say that when I saw that Matt and Jenny were working on Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate (Revised and Expanded) (IVP Books, 2018) I reached out to ask if there was much difference. A lot has happened in the years since the book was first published in 2009, so yes, there is a lot of new information.

                This book will not appeal to everyone. Some people don’t want anything to do with immigrants and refugees, and don’t want them in this country.  Others just won’t like the writing style. Too many statistics and not enough funny pictures. But for those who care about the people whom Jesus loves, this is a book well worth reading.              

                Unless your ancestors were in this country 600 years ago, you come from an immigrant family. And yes your ancestors may have immigrated legally—back in the day when arrival at Ellis Island was about as legal as it got. But things change and for a few decades now there have been laws, more laws,  and stricter immigration laws passed. Some were passed out of fear, some probably out of prejudice (which might just be another word for fear) and some out of greed, or under the pretense of national security. And even though we might break some laws ourselves, there are people who insist that certain laws be enforced.  And by the way for those of you who think that anyone wanting to come here legally should just stand in line and wait their turn, there aren’t a whole lot of lines to stand in.

                Soerens and Yang do an excellent job of pointing out some of the immigration myths making the rounds, and a better job of debunking those myths. They address the policies and politics of both sides of the debate; something I am very happy with, because so much of what we hear from the media is emotional rhetoric, with participants on both sides shouting so loudly that they can’t hear what the other side is saying—even if they were disposed to listen.

                Immigration impacts so many facets of our society that it’s easy to see why people get so emotional. This book can certainly help anyone interested in toning down the rhetoric and making informed decisions. Did you know that a large number of people who are undocumented today are 1) not Hispanic or Mexican, and 2) actually came here legally but stayed after their student, tourist, or work visa expired.  Does that possibly make a difference in how you see the situation?

                Speaking as an evangelical, and as a pastor, I was extremely pleased to see a couple of chapters where the main points concerned immigration and the church, and also information geared towards helping people make not only an informed response, but also the scriptural background so that we can offer a Christian Response to the issue that seems to be one of the most highly debated of the decade.

                I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to skip the rhetoric and make informed decisions based on facts rather than scare tactics.  And besides, as Leith Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals, writes in the Foreword:

“A New York Rabbi taught me a lesson I had never before heard. He said that there is no Old Testament commandment to love your parents, husband, wife, or children. There are only three commands: to love the Lord your God, love your neighbor, and love the alien in the land. Deuteronomy 10:19 gives this third commandment to love and explains why: you were once aliens yourselves.”

                If I thought some of the people in Washington DC would take the time to read the book, I’d buy a case and send them to our national leaders.

                Kudos to the authors for the effort they’ve put into consolidating information that every American should have access to before formulating their opinion on the subject of immigration.

               

                Definitely a 5/5