The Same

Before God

@nickkristof

Nicholas Kristof on Instagram: "This extraordinary photo captur…

I have white Christians accuse me, as a pastor, of being too Political in my articles. I wonder if some of those same persons will ever accuse me being too Biblical.

I’m not holding my breath.

I write about what I know. What I know, and am still trying to know, is what the Apostle Paul calls the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). I read, I study, then I try to apply the entire Canon of the Bible*, a few chapters and one article at a time.

Reading through the Bible…Numbers 15-16/Mark 6:1-29

The community has the same rules for you and the foreigner living among you. This is the regular rule for future generations. You and the foreigner are the same before God. The same laws and regulations apply to both you and the foreigner who lives with you.” (Numbers 15:15-16)

This stop in our journey through the Bible profiles גֵּר a Hebrew noun which transliterates as ger and is pronounced gair. Ger are Sojourners, strangers, foreigners, aliens, yes even immigrants who, according to Moses, must be treated the same as God’s people.

Here’s why…

Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. (Exodus 22:21)

God’s people know what it is like to be slaves in Eqypt, to be mistreated as גֵּר. Moses says, in effect, don’t do that to others.

Writing…

Heather Cox Richardson reports today that:

…on February 19 Border Patrol agents had dropped Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a nearly blind legal refugee from genocide in Myanmar who spoke no English and could not read, write, or use electronic devices, miles from his home in Buffalo, New York.

They did not notify either his lawyer or his family that he had been dropped off, and when his family filed a missing persons case, the police believed Shah Alam was with Border Patrol and closed the file.

He was found dead on the street on February 24.

Nurul Amin Shah Alam is a ger. If we are heed Moses’ instruction, if we are to treat him the same as we would treat ourselves. Let me ask,

“Would we do to one of our family members what BP does to Nural?”

There is individual memory and identificational memory. As a white person born in the United States I have few individual memories of being a stranger, of being marginalized. I am a privileged citizen of the United States.

However, if I self identify as Jewish, I have identificational memories of being a slave in Egypt. Those people are my people and my people know what it is like to be oppressed. So, I am going to advocate for anyone treated like a slave today.

If I self identify as Jewish, I can identify with the immigrant today even though I haven’t individually suffered as they suffer.

Couldn’t the same be true for those of us who self identify as white Christians? We have few, if any, individual experiences of being othered. However, we do have identificational experiences as followers of Jesus.

We can’t understand, on the basis of our own stories, what it is like for Nurul Amin Shah Alam. Few, if any of us, have been arrested without knowing the charge, imprisoned in concentration camp like conditions, deprived from contact with family or legal representation and then left out on a street corner to die.

We can’t understand, based on our own individual experiences, what it is like for Nural. We can, however, try to imagine it, based on our identificational faith.

We can remember, not just the God who brought our brother and sister Jews out of the land of Egypt. We can also remember that Jesus, our Savior, is brought out of the land of Bethlehem, a refugee from the genocide there.

Herod kills all the babies in Bethlehem who under two years old. Jesus narrowly escapes. Jesus, like Nurul is a refugee from genocide who speaks no English.

Building…

Nural is not like us white Christians. Nural IS, however, like Jesus.

We can, we must, try to understand and help foreigners like Nural, if we are to understand and follow a Savior like Jesus.

When we do it for the least of these (remember) we do it for Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46).

So, tell me, my white Christian friends. Am I being too Biblical?

*the authoritative collection of sacred scriptures recognized by religious communities, comprising 66 books for Protestants (39 Old Testament, 27 New Testament) and 73-81+ for Catholics, Orthodox, and others. Derived from a Greek term for “measuring rod,” the canon represents the rule of faith, finalized after centuries of debate over divine inspiration, apostolic authority, and widespread acceptance. (The Gospel Coalition)