LifeDate Spring 2025 – For Such a Time
by Pastor Michael Salemink
It appears immigration has everyone’s attention. Not only our continent but a number of other nations worldwide are feeling its stresses. Much of the public dialogue (and discord!) threatens to undermine the sanctity of life. One perspective accuses others of exploiting expatriates for political gain. Another perspective claims others deny dignity to the itinerants because of discriminatory anxieties. The contentious tone and the talking past one’s counterparts lead many to feel like disengaging entirely.
But Christians ought to be considering the matter as well. After all, the Scriptures say a great deal about travelers, visitors, newcomers, outsiders, and persons of foreign origin. Most importantly, both immigrants and citizens come to us as neighbors. Each embodies blessed gifts and privileges as a human life created, redeemed, and called precious by our Lord and God.
Neighbors, of course, present us with opportunities for fellowship and obligations toward welfare. The needs of citizen neighbors and the needs of immigrant neighbors sometimes do come into tension. Our sacred vocations may press us to prioritize now the one and now the other but always to remain cognizant of balancing attention to both and all as best we can and for the common good.
To aid in that honorable enterprise, Lutherans For Life’s Board of Directors offers the following official position statement.
Lutherans For Life Official Position Statement on Citizen and Immigrant Neighbors
WHEREAS, Almighty God blessed humankind upon creation with the command to “fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28); and
WHEREAS, St. Paul the Apostle declares that “he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place” (Acts 17:26); and
WHEREAS, God can work good through relocation, as migration features prominently in the historical narratives of the Holy Scriptures, and the Lord constructs relationships with His people, circulates the knowledge of His name, and carries out His process of salvation through it; and
WHEREAS, God works good as well through residence and citizenship, as He appointed and invited Israel to have both the privilege of possession and the responsibility for protection of the Promised Land; and
WHEREAS, the Son of God departed from His heavenly homeland to abide among us, but His own people rejected Him (John 1:9-14), and He became an exile (Matthew 2:13-15) and sojourner (Matthew 8:20); and
WHEREAS, our Savior commissioned apostles to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20) and the Pentecost miracle constituted the Church out of a diversity of peoples, languages, and cultures (Acts 2:5-8) so that we may encounter such heavenly fellowship both in the familiar and in the foreign; and
WHEREAS, the new creation will bring together an innumerable multitude “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9) to inhabit a single city; and
WHEREAS, sinfulness makes us all aliens, outsiders, exiles, and hostiles to the Lord God’s kingdom and clan (Ephesians 2:12); and
WHEREAS, Christ Jesus reconciles prodigals to the Heavenly Father and Gentiles with Jews (Ephesians 2:19) so that His Gospel unites without regard to geographic or ethnic distinctions; and
WHEREAS, Christians yet remain expatriates and pilgrims everywhere in this world because our citizenship resides in the age to come (1 Peter 2:11; Philippians 3:20), and we long for that better country (Hebrews 11:13-16) while we occupy current territories only temporarily and possess present property only provisionally; and
WHEREAS, the Lord’s power extends to the ends of the earth and His presence accompanies His people in every place (Jeremiah 23:23); and
WHEREAS, “God is not a God of disorder” (1 Corinthians 14:33) but has a keen concern for observance of laws, and He Himself has appointed the governing authorities to protect and provide by enacting and enforcing safety, fairness, and freedom on His behalf (Romans 13:1-7), so that defiance of the legitimate laws of the land disobeys His holy will; and
WHEREAS, the Scriptures abound with encouragements generously to engage and compassionately to serve displaced persons (Exodus 23:9; Psalm 145:9; Zechariah 7:10; Hebrews 13:2); and
WHEREAS, the Scriptures also command attending to and assisting one’s own countrymen as they are often the nearest neighbor (Leviticus 25:35-43); and
WHEREAS, disregard for effective regulation of immigration is resulting in significant exploitation and suffering for persons on the move, legal permanent residents, and citizens; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that Lutherans For Life urges embodying the Gospel by receiving all neighbors as gifts and privileges, whom God creates, redeems, and calls as precious, no matter their appearance, their origin, or their entrance or legal status among us; and be it further
RESOLVED, that Lutherans For Life commends demonstrating the sanctity of every human life and reflecting the divine hospitality we ourselves have received by taking note of persons on the move, assuming the best of them, approaching and interacting with them, speaking kindly to and about them, and befriending and attending them; and be it further
RESOLVED, that Gospel-motivated voices For Life also arrange and offer humanitarian aid and material assistance to these neighbors as opportunities arise; and be it further
RESOLVED, that Lutherans For Life affirms respect for and obedience to the legitimate laws, authorities, regulations, and procedures of the land as well as concern for maintaining order and safety that balances relationship responsibilities both to natives and newcomers and protects the common good; and be it further
RESOLVED, that Lutherans For Life opposes every injustice against both citizens and immigrants and advocates participating in public discourse and democratic processes to revise inadequate or unjust regulations or procedures whenever necessary; and be it further
RESOLVED, that Lutherans For Life takes no official position with regard to any particular regulation or policy proposal.
ADOPTED 18 February, AD 2025
lutheransforlife.org/life-issues/position-statements