A Good Neighborhood

by Jeff Anglin
Every day the people of United States wake up and find themselves more and
more in the backyard of the world. nternational interaction is becoming more and more
commonplace. !echnology makes it possible for an interaction to take place so much
more fre"uently and e#pediently than it could have a hundred years ago or even fifty. $n
a %NN website& a person can see a 'ritish citi(en)s response to an ranian)s apology for
soaring gasoline prices in the *estern world.
Not only is the U.S. finding itself in the backyard of the world& it is also finding
more and more of the world in its backyard. !he new neighbors have moved in.
mported goods arrive en masse from places the world over+%hina& ,orea& and ndia.
'ut even more than goods from other countries& America is once again seeing an influ# of
a different kind of valuable- immigrants. .r. /indy Scott of *heaton University wrote-
an increasing number of North Americans in general 012 are having significant
contacts with /atin Americans. n the first place& /atinos are one of the most
rapidly growing segments of the general population in the United States& already
comprising 345 of the total.
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Even besides /atino immigrants& both legal and illegal& other foreigners are coming into
the United States. ssues and concerns arise in the minds of citi(ens of the U.S.
concerning these new neighbors. And now with the economy on a down turn& concerns
towards immigrants and foreigners could very well increase as fears about 6obs& layoffs&
and budgets grow. And even in the midst of difficult times& immigrants are still coming
into our communities and our cities.
!he "uestion of millions of untraceable immigrants has no apparent answer for
the government. *ith so many practical dead ends and a lack of viable solutions& a
workable approach on such a mass scale has yet to be seen. !he government still
flounders without finding an effective resolution to the security risk that undocumented
immigrants pose while still accepting hard working human beings who wish to work in
America. 7or the government of the United States of America& this issue is s"uirrelly. !o
the %hurch& however& there is a parable that speaks pointedly.
An e#pert in the law asked whom he should love+who his neighbor was. Jesus
replied with a story about a man on a 6ourney from the city of Jerusalem to Jericho. !he
man 8fell into the hands of robbers&9 and he lost everything he had and was abused. A
priest and a /evite both passed by him. 8'ut a Samaritan& as he traveled& came where the
man was: and when he saw him& he took pity on him.9 !he Samaritan then applied some
first aid and then took the man to where he could heal and financially supported him.
8;*hich of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of
robbers<) !he e#pert in the law replied& ;!he one who had mercy on him.) Jesus told
him& ;Go and do likewise.)9
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According to Jesus teaching& a person keeps God)s ordinances when that person
looks after the abused and victimi(ed within that person)s sphere of influence. !he
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.r. /indy Scott& 8North American %hristians and the /atin American %hurch- /essons from South of the
'order.9
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/uke 3>-=?@AB& NC.
Samaritan& even though different ethnically& looked after the man from Jerusalem. Allen
%ulpepper comments on this passage in /uke& saying& 8!he command to love one)s
neighbor D/ev. 3E-3FG immediately prompted the lawyer)s "uestion which was
understood to define the limits of re"uired neighborliness. /eviticus 3E-A4& for e#ample
re"uires that an alien should be treated as a citi(en- ;/ove the alien as yourself.)9
A
!he
Samaritan)s mercy and neighborly act began with pity and then moved to care and even
financial support.
!wo facets of this parable are transferable to this issue of immigrants in the
United States. 7irst off& the Samaritan did not see regional& ethnic& or religious reasons to
keep him from helping the man who was in need. !he priest and the /evite found plenty
of religious reasons to ignore him. Jesus used the character of the Samaritan to
demonstrate that it is the love someone shows their neighbor that matters. !he Samaritan
character is praised& because he disregards local taboos and ethnic barriers that were
present. %hristians& when finding an immigrant in need& are directed by this parable to try
to meet these needs. Hany immigrants coming to the United States are in need. *hether
legally or illegally& these immigrants are coming to the United States& because they need
something+food& shelter& or care for their family@@or even 6ust desire a new life. !he
%hurch belongs to a God who is able to supply all needs and give new life.
Secondly& the Samaritan did not succumb to any selfish fears or protect his own
interests& which sadly& is what the priest and the /evite did. !he Samaritan oppositely
paid for the beaten man)s stay at a safe inn. *ith the economy on a downward turn& the
first reaction a %hristian might have could be to react out of a desire to protect her own
livelihood or finances. %hrist without a doubt& however& points his hearers to self@
sacrifice of time& money& and convenience.
%hrist compels us to care for whoever we find in need. !his is easier said than
done& however. 'ut to help clarify what a local church might do to care for those
immigrants nearby who are in need& here are three e#amples of what some churches are
already doing to be neighborly.
!he first e#ample is of a group of believers who go out into the desert on the
border of He#ico. Ieverend Iobin Joover and a group of volunteers are a part of group
called Jumane 'orders. !hey build makeshift oases for immigrants making the risky
trek across the border to find work. 8012 on average every day the desert claims two
more He#icans whose bodies never make the news.9
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!hese believers are giving a cup of
water to those who are thirsty and in need.
!he second e#ample is of a church in 'luffton& ndiana. Hany Americans already
know that immigrants are moving into places beyond the border& so churches that are not
on the border also recogni(e the opportunity to minister to immigrants in more northern
parts of the United States. 'luffton 7irst %hurch of the Na(arene& like many churches&
has an English as a Second /anguage class. At this class& immigrants are given the
opportunity to learn English for free. !his is not only a benefit to immigrants who need
to know how to communicate& it is a benefit to the surrounding community. *hen
immigrants learn English& it tears down the language barrier between ethnic groups as
well as encouraging immigrants to become greater participants within the new culture
around them.
A
%ulpepper& I. Alan. 8/uke9& !he New nterpreter)s 'ible& ==E@=A>.
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Goodstein& /aurie. 8%hurch Group Krovides $asis for llegal Higrants to U.S.9 New Lork !imes.
A last e#ample of St. 'ridget)s in owa. After the government deported thousands
of illegal immigrants from owa& St. 'ridget)s cared for those left behind after their loved
one)s were carried away. !hey provided means for food& shelter& and legal support. Host
churches do not have the funds or access to attorneys& but this is a great way to care for
those in need. !here are& however& those citi(ens of the United States who are left in
chaos& because their family members were not able to obtain visas. 'ringing warm meals
to those people in our communities who need them is something the %hurch of the
Na(arene has e#celled at many times over. !his is a simple way to take care of those
immigrants in need who were able to legally receive a visa but were still affected by the
current situation.
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All three of these churches are caring for the needy that they are running into in
their communities. !heir responses are what Jesus would call being a good neighbor.
'eing a good neighbor starts with some caring for those around us and turns into action.
God is then able to use these actions in an ama(ing way to glorify Jimself. /et us all
give up our own selves to care for the needy within our communities& whether they were
born in the United States or they happen to come from another land on Earth.
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Iubiner& 'etsy. 8After mmigrant Iaid& owans Ask *hy9. !ime.
http-MMwww.time.comMtimeMnationMarticleM>&F?EE&3F>EB=B&>>.html. $btained 33M3?M=>>F 4-4B KH.
*orks %onsulted
'ible& NC.
%ulpepper& I. Alan. 8/uke9. !he New nterpreter)s 'ible. Ed. /eander E. ,eck et all.
Nashville& Abingdon- 3EE?.
.r. /indy Scott& 8North American %hristians and the /atin American %hurch- /essons
from South of the 'order.9 Addressed to the 7aculty of *heaton.
Goodstein& /aurie. 8%hurch Group Krovides $asis for llegal Higrants to U.S.9 New
Lork !imes- June 3>& =>>3.
Iubiner& 'etsy. 8After mmigrant Iaid& owans Ask *hy9. !ime.
http-MMwww.time.comMtimeMnationMarticleM>&F?EE&3F>EB=B&>>.html. $btained
33M3?M=>>F 4-4B KH.