Recently I was in the Salford Meetinghouse near Harleysville, Pennsylvania. I was alone, standing in that small chapel that seats maybe 60 people, viewing the large pulpit and the pot-belly stove; wondering what worship would have been like in the early 20th century. The worship services were in German, you know.
Looking out the window onto the cemetery, I was reminded that there are the remains of 29 emigrants that left their home in Silesia, Germany, to travel to America because the Jesuits and Lutherans would not let them live in peace.
I imagine they were feeling quite overwhelmed as they had to leave in the middle of the night, on foot.. But they believed wholeheartedly that God does not help those who help themselves. Rather, God helps those who are helpless. He rescues, saves, provides, protects, those that trust in Him.
The early Schwenkfelders eventually braved a three-month trek across the Atlantic Ocean. The heat was unbearable. They encountered a hurricane at sea. They were at the mercy of the wind and waves. Their water went sour. Their food ran scarce. They landed at Penn’s Landing and the following day, September 24, 1734, held a service of thanksgiving.
And so that begs the question, how should we, the Christian church, help the helpless?
I am a self-confessed traditionalist. I like traditional worship. I love the Scriptures. I enjoy history, thinking that other than the Bible, it is our best teacher.
I personally did not think there was much to pick from in the last presidential election. People and personalities have become more a focus, rather than policies. I agree with the rock star Sting who sang:
“You would say I lost my belief in our politicians; They all seem like game show hosts to me.”
It was the first time I actually felt like skipping the vote.
Today, one of the hot-button issues is immigration. Is there any place in the world where immigration is being handled well?
And so the following message is not so much a presentation of better policy on immigration. I’m not at that paygrade. But I do want to remind us of things we’ve always known. I aim to encourage you to be an agent of help and healing in an otherwise difficult situation.
I am also one who loves different cultures. I’ve been overseas a handful of times; only to Europe.
When I’ve come across a person from a different land, I ask: “How many languages do you speak?”
There’s an old joke that I like to tell: What do you call a person who speaks two languages? (bilingual) What do you call a person who speaks three languages? (trilingual) What do you call a person who speaks one language? (American)
As Augustine said:
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Someone interpreted this statement as that which
“…encapsulates the idea that experiencing different cultures and exploring the world is essential for gaining a holistic understanding of life.” (Saint Augustine: ‘The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.’ — The Socratic Method; accessed 16 September 2025).
But today, we have the world coming to our towns and villages.
- Lansdale has an increasing population of Muslims from Bangladesh.
- My son’s neighbors in Telford are from Mexico.
- In my neighborhood in Schwenksville are a family from Albania, a French Canadian woman, a couple from China, a family from Belarus, a couple from Morocco and a lady from Hong Kong.
So a valid question is how are we, as Christians, to treat those who come from other lands? Well, it would seem that the Schwenkfelders have an upper hand compared to other denominations on the subject. Emigration has a significant place in our history. We have a story to tell.
In the background of this dilemma are the many recent stories in the news that threaten to bring our souls down. I am particularly troubled by the recent barrage of violence in our country. I trust you are as well. Here are just a few of the heinous crimes in the news:
- The assassination of the Minnesota state Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman, with her husband and pet on June 14.
- The murder of a young Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina on August 22.
- The assassination of Charlie Kirk, a political activist, who was also a Christian, a father and husband, on September 10.
- The recent ambush of law enforcement offers in York County, Pennsylvania, leaving three officers dead.
At this I ask, what is this country coming to!?
On the other hand, I turn to the Scriptures and find that Jesus warned us about such things. The truth is that since Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, times have always been trying. Atrocities pile up. Just visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C..
The things going on in our country don’t compare with what is going on overseas.
People are moving to different countries to find peace, much like the Schwenkfelders, with only the clothes their wearing and a bag.
On a mission trip to Athens, Greece, a team from Central witnessed how parents of children were grateful that we played soccer and other games with their children, often giving us the universal sign of gratitude: a hand over the heart and a bow.
One afternoon, we fed dinner to a group of about 40 people from Afghanistan. Mothers came into the fellowship hall and laid their exhausted children on the tables so they could sleep, while the room was filled with loud chatter of stressed adults.
If I was fleeing for safety from my village in central Mexico, or because I could not get food and water in Gaza, I would take my family and go. I assume you would too.
So let us pray and not lose heart.
These matters are sad and complicated. And we are reminded that a sign of the end times is what Jesus said in Matthew 24:10-14:
“And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
At this we must be reminded of the two greatest commandments: to love God and love others. This is what sets us apart.
In ancient Israel’s time, there was not a sense of illegal immigration. God has much to say about how we treat the sojourner.
It is more than just the Hippocratic oath: “to do no harm.” Rather, we are to be proactively kind to the sojourner. Leviticus 19:33–34 tells us:
“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
You are not to change your practice, but you are also called to accommodate and at the very least, “do no harm.” Deuteronomy 10:19:
“Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
I was recently counseling a young lady who lost her mother in a horrific accident; lost her grandmother to suicide; has been estranged from her dad for many years; works hard and is on her feet every day in the food industry; yet, she has a vibrant Christian faith and is seeking a church home.
Another one of my church members had a father who came to this country from Ireland. He worked on an estate in the Glenside area. He was not formally educated, but found a place in the United States to raise a family.
Christians are known for their hospitality, for we know what it is like to be a sojourner.
And so I ask, What is your attitude towards others from another country or who speak another language? Hebrews 13:2 reminds us:
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
People are fleeing their homelands because it is no longer safe to live there or it is not economically possible.
Is there such a thing as residency without citizenship? Is there such a thing where people without criminal backgrounds, could enter our country, work and support themselves and their families?
Some have thought of a three tiered experiment, such as Victor Davis Hanson, who wrote the book, The Dying Citizen (2021). According to Hanson, there can be pre-residents, residents and citizens. Exodus 23:9 states:
“You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
I am not saying we have to adhere to Old Testament law. But I do think there is a moral principle in these verses that should not be lost in 2025.
Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. But we must know that God is sovereign. Jesus is alive and the Holy Spirit is at work, bringing many to the saving knowledge of Christ.
We are heading towards a goal. Let us take encouragement with the words of the Nicene Creed that teaches us that Jesus: “…is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.”
Will he find us faithful, that we’ve regarded the sojourner with respect and dignity?
Central to Life 