7 "If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother,
8 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.
11 For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.'
We have opportunities all around us - to be sensitive to needs and to seek to share the compassion of Christ. We are called to open wide our hearts to those less fortunate than we are and to open wide our hands to give of ourselves so that people may experience the love of a Savior who died for them. We can be challenged to develop a greater love for those in need and allow the Lord to use us to testify to His name.
+++++
The Bible teaches us to be compassionate toward those who are among us, not being respecters of person, but being open-hearted to all. Leviticus 19 says:
33 'And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him.
34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
35 'You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume.
I encourage my listeners to view current issues from a Biblical perspective, and there is one particular issue that has become rather difficult for Christians to deal with, and that is immigration.
It's an issue about which a number of Christian groups have been speaking out. It's a complicated issue, because you are dealing with millions of people who basically broke the law to come to America, many of the them duped by false promises of a better life.
There is certainly a factor of the rule of law, but you are dealing with real people here. With real families. And real needs.
The President has attempted to use executive action to address the issue, and that action is currently on hold due to a Federal judge's ruling. He keeps trying, even issuing another executive order on the subject this week, according to the Washington Examiner, attempting to make it easier for companies to bring foreign guest workers into the country.
Congress is having a tough time with the topic - members of Congress had announced they would hold funding for the Department of Homeland Security to keep from funding a Presidential unilateral immigration order. That never materialized.
And, Christians are attempting to grapple with a legitimate approach to the issue of illegal immigration.
I reported a few months ago on a LifeWay Research study on immigration. Its website refers to a November 2014 study which found many pastors want a mix of justice and mercy when it comes to immigration. More than half (54 percent) support a path to citizenship. Most (91 percent) evangelical pastors also say the government should stop illegal immigration.
Well, LifeWay has returned to the issue. In its most recent survey, from last month, nine out of 10 American evangelicals (86 percent) want more border security. Six in 10, or 61 percent, support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. More than two-thirds (68 percent) favor both. And they want Congress to take action soon.
So, there is an interesting mix here to uphold the rule of law, but to show compassion for those who are in the country illegally. Survey respondents want to protect the unity of immigrant families (72 percent) and to respect people’s God-given dignity (82 percent).
More than two-thirds (68 percent) of evangelicals say it is important for Congress to take action on immigration reform this year. And half (50 percent) are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports border security and citizenship.
Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, says that, "Evangelicals care about immigrants and want immigration reform" adding, “We pray for Congress to stop waiting and start legislating.”
But, while evangelicals are calling for compassion, and just over 60% favor a path to citizenship for those in the country illegally, the survey indicates that Bible is apparently not informing that view overall. Researchers asked evangelicals to list which factor has most influenced their beliefs about immigration. About one in 10 (12 percent) chose the Bible, and only 2 percent named their church.
Among other influences: relationships with immigrants (17 percent), friends and family (16 percent) and the media (16 percent).
LifeWay Research also found that just over two-thirds of evangelicals say their church has never encouraged them to reach out to immigrants. But, just over half, or 53 percent, of evangelicals are familiar with the Bible’s teaching about immigrants. Two-thirds (68 percent) say they’d value hearing a sermon about the Bible’s views on immigration.
33 'And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him.
34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
35 'You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume.
I encourage my listeners to view current issues from a Biblical perspective, and there is one particular issue that has become rather difficult for Christians to deal with, and that is immigration.
It's an issue about which a number of Christian groups have been speaking out. It's a complicated issue, because you are dealing with millions of people who basically broke the law to come to America, many of the them duped by false promises of a better life.
There is certainly a factor of the rule of law, but you are dealing with real people here. With real families. And real needs.
The President has attempted to use executive action to address the issue, and that action is currently on hold due to a Federal judge's ruling. He keeps trying, even issuing another executive order on the subject this week, according to the Washington Examiner, attempting to make it easier for companies to bring foreign guest workers into the country.
Congress is having a tough time with the topic - members of Congress had announced they would hold funding for the Department of Homeland Security to keep from funding a Presidential unilateral immigration order. That never materialized.
And, Christians are attempting to grapple with a legitimate approach to the issue of illegal immigration.
I reported a few months ago on a LifeWay Research study on immigration. Its website refers to a November 2014 study which found many pastors want a mix of justice and mercy when it comes to immigration. More than half (54 percent) support a path to citizenship. Most (91 percent) evangelical pastors also say the government should stop illegal immigration.
Well, LifeWay has returned to the issue. In its most recent survey, from last month, nine out of 10 American evangelicals (86 percent) want more border security. Six in 10, or 61 percent, support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. More than two-thirds (68 percent) favor both. And they want Congress to take action soon.
So, there is an interesting mix here to uphold the rule of law, but to show compassion for those who are in the country illegally. Survey respondents want to protect the unity of immigrant families (72 percent) and to respect people’s God-given dignity (82 percent).
More than two-thirds (68 percent) of evangelicals say it is important for Congress to take action on immigration reform this year. And half (50 percent) are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports border security and citizenship.
Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, says that, "Evangelicals care about immigrants and want immigration reform" adding, “We pray for Congress to stop waiting and start legislating.”
Among other influences: relationships with immigrants (17 percent), friends and family (16 percent) and the media (16 percent).
LifeWay Research also found that just over two-thirds of evangelicals say their church has never encouraged them to reach out to immigrants. But, just over half, or 53 percent, of evangelicals are familiar with the Bible’s teaching about immigrants. Two-thirds (68 percent) say they’d value hearing a sermon about the Bible’s views on immigration.
So, all in all, the study is showing that evangelicals think it's time for Congress to act. But, how? Border security is huge, and I believe that enforcing existing laws is a big component - so, what does Congress do ensure current law is enforced, other than passing another law which may or may not be enforced. There is chaos along the southern border, and there are Christians who are attempting to do ministry to the families there, but order has to be restored in this issue.
And, there is the notion of restitution that has been introduced - a resolution at the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention included the concept of a path to citizenship, including restitutionary measures, along with border security .
In communities across America, illegal immigrants are present, and there is a real opportunity for ministry, regardless of their immigration status. I talked earlier this week about being sensitive to opportunities that the Holy Spirit may provide for us. All people, no matter what their background, qualify to be recipients of Christ's compassion - all of us can experience the love of a Savior.
So, while our leaders attempt to work through the political, believers in Christ can work through the practical. Church and civic leaders gathered in Montgomery yesterday under the banner of The Reconciled Church to deal with issues in our community - yesterday's panel discussions highlighted criminal justice reform and youth empowerment. But, the movement is also calling for church-centered reform in a variety of areas.
Serving communities, empowering individuals economically, and preserving families are all part of the activities being championed by this representative body of leaders representing millions of Christians. And, just as these leaders in Montgomery have found a place at the table on these issues, perhaps Christians can be challenged to get involved with issues, even the tough ones, to provide Biblically-centered, compassionate wisdom to help solve some of the dilemmas that are confronting our society, consuming our resources, and confounding our leaders.
Serving communities, empowering individuals economically, and preserving families are all part of the activities being championed by this representative body of leaders representing millions of Christians. And, just as these leaders in Montgomery have found a place at the table on these issues, perhaps Christians can be challenged to get involved with issues, even the tough ones, to provide Biblically-centered, compassionate wisdom to help solve some of the dilemmas that are confronting our society, consuming our resources, and confounding our leaders.
No comments:
Post a Comment