I am a child of immigrants: my grandparents and parents were World War II refugees from communist-occupied Lithuania. I am also a Unitarian Christian. I was deeply appalled at Mr. Trump’s un-Christian comments about immigrants at his recent Michigan campaign stops. Media fact checkers have addressed the falsehoods of his claims. I would like to offer a Christian perspective on his comments.
Jesus teaches that the greatest commandment is to love God AND your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40).
Jesus with his parents were political refugees in Egypt (Matthew 2:13 – 23). Jesus calls upon us to welcome immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, as if we were welcoming him: “I was a stranger and you invited me in.” (Matthew 25:35).
Before Jesus, the Hebrew Bible repeatedly teaches us NOT to oppress foreigners or refugees (Exodus 23:9). We are to treat foreigners or refugees as citizens, and also with love. (Leviticus 19:34). We are to create sanctuary cities of refuge for foreigners (Numbers 35:15). We are to include foreigners in our festivals and celebrations (Deuteronomy 16:14; 26:11). We are to use “tithes,” religious charitable donations, to feed foreigners, widows, and orphans (Deuteronomy 14:28–29). We are to leave the last fruits of our fields for the poor and foreigners (Leviticus 23:22).
In the footstep of Jesus, the Islamic Qur’an offers the whole Earth as a refuge for migrants, the oppressed, and the weak: “Was not the earth of God spacious enough for you to flee for refuge?” (Surah An-Nisa, “The Women,” 4:97).
Likewise, our own United States’ Constitution twice says the role of government is to provide for the “general welfare” (Preamble; Article I, section 8, clause 1).
Let us treat refugees not as Trump would, but as Jesus did: by welcoming them, offering them refuge, and by loving them.
Rev. Vilius Rudra Dundzila
Brighton
