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Living in the Tension
This poem invites us into the tension—and the sacred responsibility—of living as faithful citizens of both heaven and earth. It acknowledges that immigration is a complex issue with moral, legal, economic, and national security dimensions. Every nation has the right and the duty to secure its borders and to enact just and orderly systems of immigration. The poem does not advocate for lawlessness or open borders. Rather, it calls for something deeper and more enduring: open hearts.

The Church’s Prophetic Role
In that spirit, the Church has a distinct role—one that transcends partisanship and policy. We are called not to build barriers with our fears, but bridges with our faith. Scripture does not absolve us of discernment, but it does repeatedly command us to welcome the stranger, to show mercy, and to act with justice, especially toward the oppressed, the outsider, and the marginalized.

Ambassadors of a Higher Kingdom
We are not merely bystanders or critics of public policy. We are ambassadors—representatives of a higher kingdom, sent to model the character of a God who blesses all peoples (Genesis 12:1–3), shines light into darkness (Isaiah 49:6; Matthew 5:14–16), and sends us as He was sent (John 20:21). In this ambassadorial role, we do not judge the circumstances that led someone to flee or cross borders; we instead seek to bear witness to their dignity, declare God's compassion, and extend His welcome.

Jesus at the Well: A Model for Welcome
In John 4, Jesus models what it means to honor the dignity of the outsider. He deliberately goes through Samaria—territory most Jews avoided—and engages in conversation with a woman who is doubly marginalized: ethnically (a Samaritan, viewed with deep suspicion and hostility by Jews) and socially (a woman with a broken relational past, drawing water alone at the hottest part of the day).

    

Jesus does not flinch at her story. He names her reality without condemnation. He does not reduce her to a stereotype or a moral case study. Instead, He treats her as someone worthy of direct conversation, theological insight, and personal transformation. He breaks cultural, religious, and gender barriers to offer her living water—a symbol of deep spiritual restoration and belonging.

    

But Jesus does more than dignify her with attention. He entrusts her with the message of His identity. This Samaritan woman—rejected by her own people and scorned by the dominant culture—is the first recorded evangelist in John’s Gospel. She becomes the bridge between her village and the Messiah.

    

This moment is profoundly connected to the call to care for the stranger. Jesus doesn’t ask whether she belongs, whether she has legal standing, or whether her choices disqualify her. He sees her. Speaks with her. Honors her dignity. Offers her truth. And welcomes her into His mission.

    

As ambassadors of dignity, we are called to follow this same path. We cross cultural divides. We reject labels and assumptions. We recognize that every person—regardless of status, language, or background—is someone Jesus would stop for at the well. And like Him, we welcome the stranger not out of obligation, but out of love.

A Biblical Mandate for Justice
Throughout Scripture, God commands His people to treat the foreigner and the oppressed with radical care (Exodus 22:21; Zechariah 7:9–10). We are called to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8–9), to seek justice for the vulnerable (Micah 6:8), and to echo Jesus’ mission of setting the oppressed free (Luke 4:18–19). Jesus consistently reserved His strongest rebukes for religious leaders who used their power to exclude, and His warmest invitations for those considered outsiders.

A Summons to Embody Grace
This poem is a summons—not to compromise truth, but to embody grace. Not to dismiss borders, but to expand love’s reach. As ambassadors of dignity, we represent a kingdom that knows no borders, and a King who enlarges the circle of those who belong.