Welcome the Strangers Among Us

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me . . .” (Matt. 25:35)

There are many images in scripture for the life of faith: the body of Christ (I Cor. 12), the household of God (I Peter), and the vine (John 15). While John Wesley taught that our life of faith entails personal holiness, he also helped us understand that our life together is one of social holiness. A pastoral letter from the United Methodist Council of Bishops, “Beloved Community: An Antidote to Extremism” (Sept. 19, 2024), reminds us that love of God inevitably leads to love of neighbor. It is that love that causes me to seek your prayers and faithfulness.

While I support the legitimate efforts of law enforcement to protect the safety and security of our communities, I also support ordinances and statutes that protect the rights of immigrants in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Paragraph 163 of The 2020/2024 Book of Discipline says that “we affirm that every form of government stands under God's judgment and must therefore be held accountable for protecting the innocent, guaranteeing basic freedoms and liberties, protecting the natural world, and establishing just, equitable, and sustainable economies.”

Insofar as the scripture calls us more than 35 times to love the stranger, I call us to stand with nonviolent migrants, immigrants, and refugees in this country, who live in the shadows of society in a state of perpetual fear. I prayerfully ask us to reject the measure of mass deportations and consider families that include citizens and noncitizens, parents and children, who must not be separated from each other. A recent Council of Bishops letter, “Addressing the Plight of Migrants, Immigrants, and Refugees” (Dec. 18, 2024), states that “they are our neighbors, our friends, and members and pastors of our churches.”

I reject the needless provocation of Chicago as a stated ground zero for a mass deportation effort. I call on federal and state governments to work out bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform that will solve our issues and provide healing for the nation.

At other times in our history, whether it be the Trail of Tears, the Japanese detention centers, or the legacy of slavery, when the United States government has moved or restricted a mass of people, a tragic loss of life and generational cycles of harm result. The tool of mass deportation is not necessary and is abhorrent to followers of a nonviolent Jesus.

Once again, please pray for the migrants, immigrants, and refugees among us and welcome them with the fullness of Christian love, remembering that as we welcome these our brothers and sisters, we welcome Jesus our Lord.

Thank you.

Peace,

Daniel W. Schwerin, Bishop
Northern Illinois-Wisconsin Episcopal Area
The United Methodist Church