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At Ambassadors of Dignity, everything we do flows from the deep well of Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, God's heart beats for the vulnerable—for the foreigner, the outcast, the marginalized. These passages are more than proof texts; they are invitations. They call us to live lives of justice, mercy, and humble presence. Below are the key Scriptures that have shaped our mission and continue to guide our work with our immigrant neighbors.

The Image of God in Every Person

    

Genesis 1:27 (NLT): So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 

    

Our foundational conviction is that every human being—regardless of race, immigration status, or country of origin—is made in the image of God. This truth calls us to treat all people with inherent worth and dignity. It fuels our mission to advocate for immigrants as bearers of divine value, to be treated as neighbors to love, not as problems to solve or statistics to manage.

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We Are Christ’s Ambassadors

    

2 Corinthians 5:20a (NLT): So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.

    

This verse is at the heart of our identity and mission. We are not merely helpers or advocates—we are representatives of Jesus, sent to embody His message of reconciliation, restoration, and love. We understand that we do not give people dignity—it is already theirs, because they are made in the image of God. Our calling is to affirm and honor that dignity, especially among immigrant communities who are so often dismissed, dehumanized, or disregarded.

    

But our role as ambassadors doesn’t stop there. We are also ambassadors to those who disagree with our position, who may fear or oppose their immigrant neighbors. We approach them not as enemies, but as people also made in God’s image, inviting them into a more compassionate, Christlike vision. In all things, we seek to represent the heart of Christ—bridging divides, telling the truth in love, and making room for grace to do its work.

    

The Quartet of the Vulnerable: God’s Heart for the Marginalized 

    

Deut 10:18–19; Zechariah 7:9–10; Psalm 146:7–9; Deut 24:17–22; Jeremiah 22:3; Exodus 22:21–2

    

Throughout the Old Testament, God reveals a consistent and passionate concern for four vulnerable groups: widows, orphans, foreigners (sojourners), and the poor. Sometimes called the “quartet of the vulnerable,” these individuals were those most likely to be overlooked, excluded, or exploited in ancient society—and they still are today.

    

What’s striking is not just that God cares for them—it’s that He identifies with them. In every passage above, God not only commands His people to act justly but ties their obedience to their own memory of having once been vulnerable themselves. “You were foreigners in Egypt,” He reminds them again and again. God's justice flows from His character, and He expects His people to reflect that character in how they treat the least powerful in society.

    

These commands were not optional extras for super-spiritual Israelites; they were core to faithful covenant living. God's people were required to build justice and mercy into their economic systems, legal judgments, and personal ethics.

    

These texts are foundational. They remind us that dignity is not based on citizenship or contribution—it is based on being seen and known by God. When we advocate for immigrants, we are not engaging in charity—we are walking in step with the very heart of God.

    

God’s people are known by how they treat those the world forgets.  

Redefining Neighbor: Mercy Over Boundaries

    

Luke 10:36–37 (NLT): Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.

    

This moment follows a pointed question from a religious leader trying to justify himself: “And who is my neighbor?” (v. 29). It’s a question rooted in a human impulse we still see today—the tendency to make the category of “neighbor” as narrow and manageable as possible. We want to care, but on our own terms, and within our own comfort zones. Jesus does the opposite. He responds with a story that expands the definition of neighbor beyond ethnicity, religion, and national boundary, placing the hero role on a Samaritan—someone despised by Jesus’ Jewish listeners.

    

We believe Jesus is still enlarging the meaning of “neighbor” today—to include immigrants (all immigrants), refugees, and those we might instinctively view as outsiders or unworthy. We want to embody the Samaritan’s posture: moved with compassion, crossing barriers, and offering real help to real people in need.

Grace Restores What Shame Destroys

    

John 8:10–11 (NLT): Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

    

The story of the woman caught in adultery reminds us that God is more interested in redemption than punishment. We stand with the shamed and marginalized, not with the accusers holding stones. We seek to restore dignity through love, not reinforce shame through judgment.

God Lifts the Humble, Not the Self-Righteous

    

Luke 18:9–14 (NLT): Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector." ... I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

    

This parable shows that God justifies the humble, not the self-righteous. The Pharisee boasts in his morality and looks down on others. The tax collector, by contrast, stands at a distance, beats his chest, and begs for mercy. He has good reason—he collaborated with the Romans and exploited his own people for personal gain. His guilt is real.

    

Yet Jesus says he, not the Pharisee, went home justified. Why? Because he knew his need. We believe that dignity and mercy are not rewards for good behavior—they are gifts for the humble. This story reminds us that we are not ambassadors because we have it all together, but because we’ve received grace—and we extend that same grace to immigrants and even to those who disagree with us.

The God Who Dwells with the Oppressed: A Theme Throughout the Bible

    

Matthew 25:35, 40 (NLT): [Jesus said] “I was hungry, and you fed me. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home... When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me.”

    

This passage reveals the sacred mystery of Christ’s identification with the vulnerable—not just in sentiment, but in presence. When we welcome the hungry, the stranger, the prisoner, or the sick, we are not simply serving on behalf of Jesus—we are encountering Him.

    

This mystery echoes a truth woven throughout the Old Testament: God the Father continually identifies with the oppressed. He defends the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, and the poor—not from a distance, but as One who sees, hears, and acts (Exodus 3:7–8; Deuteronomy 10:18). In Isaiah, He is the one who “lives with the lowly and the broken” (Isaiah 57:15). In the Psalms, He is “a refuge for the oppressed” (Psalm 9:9).

    

Jesus continues this revelation in flesh and blood. In Matthew 25, He locates Himself not in the seat of power, but among “the least of these.” Every act of love becomes a sacred encounter—Jesus in disguise, waiting to be received.

    

This is not a metaphor. It is a conviction: when we welcome immigrants, we welcome Christ Himself. Dignity is not something we offer—it’s something we recognize. And in every act of mercy, we draw near not only to our neighbors, but to the presence of the Living God.

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