“34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
Leviticus 19:34
Today I stand before you not only as a minister of the Word, but as a witness to injustice. I am writing from a nation that proudly calls itself “America the Beautiful”—a land of liberty, of freedom, of opportunity. But if we peel back the patriotic slogans and the red, white, and blue, we uncover a heartbreaking truth: America has broken its promise.
That shining beacon on the hill has dimmed, not because of the tired or the poor, not because of the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, but because of the cruelty of our response to them.
We are witnessing the systematic rounding up, tying up, and shipping out of real Americans—men and women who love this land, who labor for it, who sacrifice daily in the shadows so that others may dine, build, and prosper in the light.
These are not criminals. These are not threats. These are workers, caregivers, farmers, dishwashers, carpenters, and day laborers. These are mothers and fathers—families—who do the work that sustains this country’s food, hospitality, and construction industries.
They are the backbone of the American dream.
And yet, millions of so-called Americans—citizens in name only—sit in the comfort of plush homes, clicking “like” on cruelty, scrolling past suffering, working meaningless jobs that feed no soul, produce no good, and enrich no one but themselves.
Meanwhile, the real America—the servant-hearted, hard-working, immigrant-built America—is being torn apart.
Let us not forget what God says in His Word:
“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” —Exodus 22:21
This is not a suggestion. It is a command. A divine decree. God reminds Israel—and us—that the people we call “strangers” were once us. Our ancestors were immigrants. Refugees. Outsiders. And what does God say to His people again in Leviticus?
“The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” —Leviticus 19:34
Love them as yourself. As yourself.
How can we call ourselves a Christian nation while we shatter families, zip-tie fathers, and deport mothers back to the very places they fled in desperation? How can we sing “God Bless America” with fireworks in one hand and deportation papers in the other?
We claim this is about safety. About law and order. But I tell you today, there is no justice in ripping children from their parents’ arms.
There is no morality in packing human beings onto buses like livestock, bound for a border they no longer know, a country they no longer call home.
Let me ask you this: Who is feeding your family tonight at the restaurant? Who picked the strawberries on your Fourth of July pie? Who framed the house you live in? Who mows the lawn outside your office while you sip coffee and debate immigration policy?
You see, there is a disconnect between the America we preach and the America we practice.
And so, I ask you, Church: Where is your voice?
Because silence is not neutrality. Silence is complicity.
Jesus made this crystal clear in Matthew 25:
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” —Matthew 25:35
You welcomed me.
Or did you?
We cannot pretend to worship a brown-skinned refugee Savior on Sunday, then cheer for ICE raids on Monday. Jesus Himself was once a child fleeing government violence, an undocumented baby in Egypt.
If we were truly following Christ, we would open our arms, not close our borders.
We would protect the vulnerable, not prey on them.
We would defend families, not dismantle them in the name of politics.
We would repent for how far we’ve fallen.
My friends, let me be blunt: the spiritual sickness in this land is not coming from the border. It is coming from within. From the selfishness, the greed, the fearmongering, and the nationalism that has replaced our compassion.
It is not the undocumented who have corrupted this country.
It is the comfortable.
Those who benefit from exploitation and then turn around to demonize the exploited. Those who live off the labor of immigrants and then call them “illegals.” Those who have forgotten that the kingdom of God is not bound by walls or zip codes.
Let us remember the words of Hebrews 13:2:
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Angels. Angels, Church…
We are deporting angels.
We are sending holy people back to danger, while pretending we are safe.
God is not mocked. And His judgment is real—not just for individuals, but for nations.
If America wants to be great, it must first be good. If we want blessing, we must first practice justice. If we want revival, we must first repent.
So today, I urge you not to turn away. Don’t scroll past the images. Don’t shut your heart to the screams of children and the silence of empty dinner tables. Stand up. Speak out. Vote with your conscience. Open your home. Love boldly.
And when they ask why, you tell them:
Because Jesus was a stranger once, too.
And when we care for the least of these, we care for Him.
May God have mercy on this broken land.
And may we, the Church, lead with love.
To God be all the glory, now and forever.
Were you able to glean and grow from this message so God can be further glorified and His Kingdom magnified? If so, I would love to hear from you. Follow this link to get in touch… Let’s pray!
Father God;
Our hearts are heavy as we witness the suffering of families torn apart, the silence of the comfortable, and the injustice done to those You call us to love.
Forgive us for the ways we have turned away from the stranger, the immigrant, the worker in our midst.
Open our eyes to see Your face in those we have overlooked.
Stir our spirits to act, to speak, and to stand for what is right—not just in word, but in deed.
Help us remember that You were once a stranger in the land of Egypt, and that when we welcome the foreigner, we welcome You.
Lord, heal our nation. Break our hearts for what breaks Yours. And use us as vessels of compassion, justice, and truth in a world that desperately needs Your light.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen!
This message was written by Daniel St.Pierre
