Opinion: Sanctuary churches hiding illegal immigrants: right or wrong?
Michael Blackwood, Assistant Editor
Image courtesy of unsplash.com
Some churches across the United States have begun to hide illegal immigrants within their walls.
Is it okay for a church to offer sanctuary to someone who is in the country illegally? As Christians, the only place to look for the answer to this question is the Bible.
The Scriptures are very clear that Christians are foreigners in this world. Hebrews 11:13 says, “All these people [Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob] were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.” 1 Peter 2:11 also encourages believers to live as foreigners on earth.
If we as Christians are living as foreigners and exiles on earth, then should we not feel compassion on those who are foreigners and exiles in the earthly country that we live in? According to Exodus 22:21, the Israelites were not to mistreat foreigners because they were once foreigners themselves. Though now we are exiles and foreigners in spiritual sense, we should still strive to care for those who are exiles and foreigners in a literal sense.
These “sanctuary churches” are fulfilling the biblical call to care for foreigners; the only issue is that they are doing it illegally. However, according to Josh Styles, a Christian Studies professor at North Greenville University, there is a biblical precedence for civil disobedience. Acts 4:18-21 tells the story of Peter and John, two of the apostles of Jesus, being arrested for speaking to others about their faith. They are threatened, but they respond by saying, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him?”
Styles said regarding this passage, “That passage is talking specifically about speaking the Gospel, as far as being a witness for Christ, but the principle of civil disobedience, at least to a degree in scripture, I think is there.” He further explained that Christians have come to many different conclusions on how to apply this passage.
Styles also said that each case should be considered individually, leaning towards grace if it will protect families, but not if the church will be harboring someone who has committed more serious, violent crimes.
Are these churches justified in providing sanctuary? A biblical argument could be made for either side, however, in Luke 10, in the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus illustrates the idea of being a neighbor to everyone and that means showing love, compassion and grace to all, even those who are from a different place than us and that we are supposed to and expected to hate.
