America is a land of immigrants. Every one of our ancestors came here from some other place. (Even "Native Americans" traveled to this land from some place else, just earlier than the rest of us.) They came for many different reasons: freedom of religion, economic, political, health, and ambition just to name a few. This land welcomed them and gave them opportunity to find what they were seeking.With this as part of our history, America has been sensitive to the needs of immigrants. The success of this nation is due to its ability to blend all of these people into one nation. People working together and helping each other to succeed provides an atmosphere of success for all. No one person or group can claim that they alone are the reason that this nation has become the greatest nation on earth. All have played important roles down through our history. How can we now turn our backs on those still wanting to come to this land for the same reasons that our ancestors came so long ago?The Lord Himself set the standard for responding to "the stranger in our midst." Jesus Christ sought out, welcomed, and cared for people in need. He acted in mercy without respect to ethnicity, religion, or nationality. Christians need to respond in similar manner and in accord with His Word, which teaches, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11). We express love toward immigrants not only as individual and corporate Christians, but also as individual and corporate citizens of this nation, which we love. Today, issues related to immigration and immigration laws are causing distress in our land. As corporate citizens of this nation, we recognize that solutions to the problem of illegal immigration are complex. There are many factors that deserve consideration, each exhibiting its own value. Secure borders, national security, policy enforcement, national stability, inexpensive labor, decent income, budget limits, human rights, and work opportunities are only the beginning of the long list.As Christians, we do affirm the right, responsibility, and authority of the government to act as God's agent, according to what is reasonable and just, in the creation and enforcement of laws (Romans 13:1-7). It follows that we recognize and affirm the responsibility of the government to regulate immigration in a godly manner while considering the many factors that deserve careful attention.Millions of undocumented persons have come to the United States for many and various reasons. They have come to flee oppression of many sorts, including extreme poverty and hunger. They have come in order to make provision for their loved ones. They have come in order to end separation from loved ones. They have come illegally because they have deemed that the legal route is nearly impossible to maneuver. They have come because they can work, and they find dignity in labor. We recognize also that a small percentage have come for malevolent reasons.Christians equally committed to God's Word may reasonably arrive at different conclusions on specific aspects of these issues and their resolution. However, this much is certain: God, in His Word, consistently shows His loving concern for "the stranger in our midst" and directs His people to do the same. The Children of Israel were told, "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10:18-19). God told Moses to tell the people, "When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 19:33-34). Jesus said, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). We are reminded in Hebrews 13:2, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." The challenges of illegal immigration are real and solutions must be found. While we accept our Christian responsibility to care for those in need, it is not the role of the church to specify particular civil legislation, either to its own constituency or to the government. We do, however, pray that God will grant wisdom and discernment to our nation's elected leaders as they endeavor to provide appropriate solutions to this very real dilemma.Meanwhile, in order to fulfill our Christian obligation, we also request that the charitable act of providing assistance to undocumented aliens not otherwise engaged in illegal activity not be criminalized ipso facto. We pray that appropriate solutions may be found, so that our assistance to those in need can also include helping persons become legal residents and citizens of this land of freedom and opportunity in which God has so richly blessed us.