A Reflection on “Love the Immigrant as Yourself”
October 23, 2025
By Gregory Beechaum, CSJR Student Ambassador
The panel discussion, ‘Love the Immigrant as Yourself,’ featuring Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler, Jr., Rev. Dr. Safwat Marzouk, and Jamilah Espinosa, Esq., was easily one of the most enlightening and informative conversations I’ve listened to recently. Their perspectives and expertise helped connect ancient biblical instruction to the stark realities of today’s immigration policies. I’ve learned so much about how deep our faith tradition runs on this issue, and why our current response to immigrants is such a profound spiritual failure.
The discussion highlighted that the biblical tradition is not merely a fixed collection of regulations; rather, it represents an ongoing narrative in which the sojourner, alien, or stranger holds significant importance. Deuteronomy 10:18-19 and Leviticus 19:34 are unequivocal: the alien must be treated as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself. The panelists noted that immigrants were classified with other groups considered socially vulnerable in ancient Israel, such as the fatherless and the poor, all of whom were afforded additional protections. This situation has parallels in contemporary society, where similar groups may require support.
The core tension, however, comes from our human tendency to believe we are the normative. This arrogance turns difference from a potential gift into an inevitable threat. They used the Exodus 1 paradigm to illustrate the sinister path from fear to oppression. Pharaoh didn’t start with mass deportation; he began by marking them as different, then moved to deny the goodness the migrant community had contributed, until finally, they were successfully branded as a dangerous source of threat. This is precisely how the politics of fear function today, resulting in governmental policies being weaponized against people simply seeking a better life.
The panelists presented a spiritual perspective, stating that hospitality represents genuine faith in God. They noted that the act of humanizing others is not a political development but rather originates from divine principles. When we host a stranger, we are mirroring the divine pattern seen in Genesis 18 with Abraham and living out the Polish proverb: “Guest in House, God in house.” The most convicting part was the reminder, drawn from Matthew 25, that what you do for the alien who comes to you is what you’ve done to God.
This is because God is the Host of us all. The entire world belongs to God, and we must remember we are all merely God’s guests. When we are willing to deport, detain, and deny fundamental rights, we forget that we are one body with those individuals. Showing inhospitality actively tears apart the body of Christ. The way forward is through memory, which creates empathy by reminding us of our own vulnerability and our shared status as guests. The church cannot shy away from this prophetic moment. This conversation was a powerful call to listen to what God is saying, expand our horizons, and work toward greater justice and equity by truly loving our neighbor as ourselves. I appreciate having observed the thoughtful discussion and gained valuable perspectives from it.
