Non-citizens in a Biblical Perspective

by Gordon Brubacher

“The non-citizen who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you. You shall love the non-citizen as yourself” (Lev. 19:34).

What does the Bible say about the noncitizens in our midst? The surprise and challenge for me is normalization. That is, biblical instructions about so-called “resident aliens” functionally require us to normalize their lives as equal citizens. Their very status as different is to be erased.

Let me show where that comes from, because the word “normalization” does not appear. What we do find clearly, beyond the expected instructions for charity (Lev. 19:10) and not to exploit or oppress immigrants (Exod. 22:21, 23:9), is the following:

1. One law for all. Surprisingly, the same law or legal status must apply to citizens and non-citizens alike: “You shall have one law for the non-citizen and for the citizen” (Lev. 24:22; also Exod. 12:49; Num. 15:16, 29; 35:15; Deut. 1:16). Moreover, the stranger must even have the same status in Israelite religious life (Exod. 12:49; Num. 9:14, 15:14–15, 26; Deut. 16:11, 14; 26:11–13). Given that religious status as the chosen people was the most exclusive aspect of Israelite society, this equality is unexpected indeed. (In the United States, it might be compared to the right to vote.)
2. Love. This equality and nondiscrimination can be summarized by the command to “love the non-citizen as yourself” (Lev. 19:34; compare Deut. 10:19). Given that “love” in the Bible means to act for the well-being of others—no matter what the cost—this is functional normalization or beyond.

The society that follows these principles will have no resident aliens or other second- class people. This would mean, for example, the end of undocumented workers in our midst. They would become citizen workers instead.

True, neither church nor nation are quite ready. In “churchianity,” for example, we tend to spiritualize the biblical theme of the sojourner as our citizenship in heaven (referring to Eph. 2:19; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 11). Or we point to passages about God caring for the sojourner (all two of them: Deut. 10:17–18; Ps. 146:9), and let God do it for us. But the biblical witness does not permit us to dodge. At least 35 passages about non-citizens call upon the people of God to act for them in the here and now, in the reality on the ground.

Could it be we are actually called to implement this normalization? Leo Hartshorn reminds us “that in God’s kingdom, human boundaries are meaningless, and that showing God’s love should not hinge upon seeing someone’s legal papers. . . . Living out this commitment could require serious soul-searching and action by Anabaptist individuals, congregations and institutions” (“Immigration: What is the Church Saying?” brochure, Mennonite Church USA Peace and Justice Support Network). One could add the words of Peter in Acts 5:29: “We ought to obey God rather than any human authority.”

The task may look hopeless, but, created as we are in the image of a creative God, we can use our imagination. Let’s put up another Statue of Liberty at the southern border and broadcast the famous words. Let’s recognize the 11th Commandment (“You shall love the non-citizen as yourself”) and post it with the other ten in public places. Just as the Spirit moved people to end slavery, the Spirit may be calling us to act on the issue of non-citizenship now. Where there’s a will there’s a way, and I vote for following thatWay.