Immigration and law
A thought I had today, after hearing commentary on the radio and reading informal polls in online newspapers, is that a large number of people really do think that all illegals should be deported because they are a drain on our society, and that there should be stricter measures in place for craccking down on illegal immigration. Of course, I totally disagree with this point if view, and it really bugs me a lot.
I heard someone say this morning "This is simply a matter of law. At the core this is a legal issue only. They are here illegally. They must be sent home." And I thought, you know, for issues and problems that are distant from us, that don't affect us or impact us, it is so easy to call for strict enforcement of the law. When it's not our families, our lives being affected, it is simple to talk about deportation and imprisonment and fines. But when those issues strike closer to home, well, then we suddenly call for more grace and clemency.
So, I don't know where I am going with all this, but I thought that the commentary surrounding this issue seems to point to a Biblical understanding of human nature - we only want justice when it involves punishing other people. We never want justice when it involves punishing us.
Hence the importance of grace.
I heard someone say this morning "This is simply a matter of law. At the core this is a legal issue only. They are here illegally. They must be sent home." And I thought, you know, for issues and problems that are distant from us, that don't affect us or impact us, it is so easy to call for strict enforcement of the law. When it's not our families, our lives being affected, it is simple to talk about deportation and imprisonment and fines. But when those issues strike closer to home, well, then we suddenly call for more grace and clemency.
So, I don't know where I am going with all this, but I thought that the commentary surrounding this issue seems to point to a Biblical understanding of human nature - we only want justice when it involves punishing other people. We never want justice when it involves punishing us.
Hence the importance of grace.
posted by Jonathan Ziman at
3:05 PM
2 Comments:
Get yourself into the heart of the issue by getting yourself to the frontline. I suggest Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries in Los Fresnos, Texas, in particular. This is a Disciples-run ecumenical multi-phased assistance ministry center, dealing with interrelated issues of poverty, discrimination, immigration, opportunity, the American dream, etc. The real issues are not even close to whatever the talking heads are nonsensically spouting. A weekend or longer working at/through SWGSM (or similar) will enable you to form a logical opinion. "There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you," (Numbers 15.16 NASB).
Simplistic, jingoistic, pronunciations are also easy make if you are geographically separated, not just culturally separated. One can be "culturally sensitive" yet never leave a self-imposed ivory-toned tower and completely miss the point! A weekend or longer working at/through SWGSM (or similar) will enable you to form a logical opinion.
And if you haven't guessed, I am a conservative evangelical.
By
Anonymous, at 11:59 PM
Thanks for the tip. You have a good point that there is a huge difference between sitting up here in Chicago and commenting on everything from a distance, and actually going down and working on the border.
By
Jonathan Ziman, at 7:26 PM
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