Crossing the border between Mexico and the United States without the proper permission certainly violates the law, and we must not ignore this fact. We are not encouraging parents to send their children to the United States. It is not only illegal, it is also dangerous, putting their children’s lives at risk. However, we need to ask, “Why do these parents feel the need to send their children to the United States?” 

For the last two weeks, we have been working together with the National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NALEC) and the Evangelical Immigration Table to create strategies to help the more than 50,000 Hispanic children who have crossed the border in the last few months. The U.S. government has asked for help from the church and from humanitarian organizations to work to solve this crisis. Here in Oklahoma, they are detaining more than 1,200 children within the military facilities at Fort Sill in Lawton, and we have been granted permission to visit them and serve them.[1]

Unfortunately, I have seen media reports of politicians who have reacted angrily toward this situation. Much to my surprise, many religious leaders have responded likewise. I heard one pastor say, “They are breaking the law, so why should the church help these criminal children?” I confess that hearing this response surprised me, saddened me, and upset me.

Crossing the border between Mexico and the United States without the proper permission certainly violates the law, and we must not ignore this fact. We are not encouraging parents to send their children to the United States. It is not only illegal, it is also dangerous, putting their children’s lives at risk.

However, we need to ask, “Why do these parents feel the need to send their children to the United States?” The answer is not simple. We must understand that in many Latin American countries violence is rampant and governments are corrupt. Too often, parents cannot find sufficient work, and there is not enough food to feed their children. Drug trafficking and usage have created unstable and insecure conditions. Parents are desperate for a better future for their children. A Christian can find purpose in God and solace in the midst of adversity, but among the majority who do not have Christ, some see migration as a means of salvation.

Understanding Romans 13

The principal New Testament text relating to government authorities is Romans 13. Does Romans 13 give unlimited power to the government to do what they want? History tells us that many notorious dictators and abusive governments have used Romans 13:1-5 out of context to abuse the power entrusted to them.

So what is the line or the limit for the Christian? Christians must subject ourselves to the government so long as the government does not require what God condemns nor condemns what God requires. Rights are not conferred by the government but by God. The government protects and ensures but does not bestow the rights that God has established. Romans 13 does not mean that Christians should subject themselves to laws that contradict what God has established. We always need to obey the law of the government when it does not conflict with the law of God, but obeying government unthinkingly leads to tyranny. The authority of the government is subject to the higher law of God.

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