Not only did it keep me from living fully into my identity as a child of God who bears the image of God, but it also kept me from seeing my own immigrant family and neighbors through the lens of the gospel. I used to aspire to this mythical and impossible level of perfection. They would separate from their families, even see their children suffer, before they would cross a border without papers. In short, they are shining examples of what it means to be an American.Ībove all, good immigrants find a way to be legal immigrants, never mind an ever-shifting immigration system that favors some, marginalizes others, and strands many in a world of loopholes and technicalities. They are so law abiding as to be above reproach. They speak English fluently and are fully assimilated into American culture, forgetting the old country except in the occasional nostalgic moment or holiday. Good immigrants are eternally grateful for admission to this great country and never critique it. They assume the necessary risks to keep our economy running during a health pandemic, and they don’t complain about being blocked from public benefits our economy affords or being excluded from CARES Act stimulus payments. Good immigrants, according to our American mythology, work hard and keep their head down. This is one of five essays in the series. Christianity Today asked a group of contributors how, if at all, the Bible should inform what a nation expects of immigrants.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |