Dear Editor,
Thank you for encouraging a debate on Christian perspectives on immigration. This is overdue, as I feel that, contrary to the view expressed by the anonymous correspondent on page 7 of the May edition of en, there is not necessarily a general bias towards supporting immigrants within the Christian press – and there should be. Too often Christians express the same sorts of fears and apprehensions regarding immigration as our secular neighbours, and don’t appear to apply Christian doctrine to the issue. An example of this is the anonymous letter, which expresses concern about the use of UK taxes to support immigrants, for people in the UK feeling overwhelmed, and whether some asylum seekers are in reality economic migrants. I would like to offer these brief thoughts both to reassure your correspondent, and perhaps to challenge their thinking.
As Christians our primary concern surely must be the proclamation of the gospel. Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations. For centuries, missionaries have departed the UK for places all round the world to make disciples, and the gospel was first brought to the British Isles by missionaries from overseas. Now we have the golden opportunity to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ to the many people who, in the sovereignty of God, have migrated to the UK. In the Bible, migration is a chief means by which the gospel is proclaimed, and it sits ill with evangelical convictions to support border controls which necessarily inhibit the spread of the gospel. People are not more deserving of hearing the gospel if they are asylum seekers than if they are economic migrants – each person is a precious soul who God desires to be saved.
While the UK government chooses to create laws which hinder migration, economically these are counter productive. As your correspondent notes, these laws lead to people-smuggling and costs for the state in housing people who are also forbidden from working. The UK economy needs more workers, not least as a result of the restrictions on free movement imposed by the Brexit settlement. However, even if there is a taxation cost, why should Christians be concerned about this? Our God is able to feed thousands of people from just a few bits of fish and bread. He is able to rain manna from heaven. He is able to ensure that we have enough to eat, even if some of our taxes are spent on helping out people who are less fortunate than we are. Far better for us to show grace to others, bearing in mind all we have received ourselves.
Immigration is also a useful reminder for us, that we are also strangers here – our real citizenship is in heaven. We should not feel too comfortable here, and if immigration means we feel ‘overwhelmed, overlooked and pushed to the back of the queue’ this is a spiritual blessing for us, because it helps us not to get too attached to the earthly tent, and instead to appreciate the solid hope we have hidden in Christ.
Finally, I would note that the diversity of cultures and languages in the UK as a result of immigration is something that Christians should learn to appreciate: when we come into God’s presence there will be a multitude that no-one can count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, all praising God for their salvation. May at least some of this great ethnic diversity in heaven be as a result of the evangelism of the 21st-century UK church.
Yours sincerely,
Jason Freeman Elder, South Park Chapel, in ethnically diverse Ilford
