By Rev. Mark H. Creech
October 6, 2003

(AgapePress) - I was sitting at my computer working on an editorial, when suddenly I saw a Mexican man walk by my window not more than a foot away. He seemed to be casing the house as if to rob it. He walked around my home, stopped at the outside water spigot and helped himself to a drink. Then he went over to my car and peered in the windows, obviously looking for something he might steal. Alarmed at this point, I went out on the front porch, got his attention by clearing my throat and gave him "the evil-eye." Fortunately, it worked and he left without incident.

I live in a rural area and I've never felt unsafe. But since this experience, I'm a bit nervous. Please don't misunderstand; I'm not a racist, my own wife is of Lebanese descent. Nevertheless, this situation has caused me to think a great deal about the major invasion that's taking place in our country.

The Mexican immigration crisis in America is completely out of control. In 1970, the Mexican immigrant population was less than 800,000, compared to nearly 8 million in 2000. Of the 8 million Mexicans that have immigrated to the United States, approximately four million are illegal aliens.

This has a profound effect on the nation's economy. According to Immigration From Mexico: Assessing the Impact on the United States, by Steven Camarota: "Even after welfare reform, welfare use among Mexican immigrant households remains much higher than that of natives. An estimated 33.9% of households headed by legal Mexican immigrants and 24.9% headed by illegal Mexican immigrants used at least one major welfare program. In contrast, 14.8% of native households used welfare." Based on estimates by the National Academy of Sciences, the average adult Mexican immigrant causes a life-time net fiscal drain (taxes paid minus services used) of $55,200 on public coffers.

More importantly, however, is the cost in human lives. In temperatures as high as 122 degrees, both American and Mexican authorities regularly search for Mexicans lost and feared dead after attempting to cross the scorching desert to come to the United States. Some die smuggled in cramped quarters in trucks and other vehicles, trying to avoid the Border Patrol. Assault, robbery, and rape by "border bandits" are also common dangers faced by Mexican immigrants.

What can be done to solve this critical problem? We can't simply close our borders. Even the Bible teaches people have a right to immigrate. Abraham and his family went out from Ur of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran in upper Mesopotamia (Gen. 11:31). The Hebrews emigrated from Egypt to the Promised Land (Ex. 12). Ezra journeyed from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezra 7:1-10). Nehemiah left Babylon and came to Jerusalem to help rebuild the city wall (Neh. 1-2).

Immigration is also a necessary means for taking the Gospel of Christ to the world. In the Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States (1892), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a church in New York City that had contracted with a minister in England to perform services as its rector. The issue was whether the church's action violated an Act of Congress that prohibited the importation of unskilled persons from foreign lands to perform manual services. The Court reasoned the minister in question was a "toiler of the brain," not a manual laborer. But Justice Brewer's opinion was the clincher. He wrote: "These, and many other matters, which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation." In other words, the High Court's decision essentially said the Great Commission of Christ ought to take precedence over U.S. immigration policy.

Now that raises an interesting question: Could the Great Commission of Christ offer a solution to the current Mexican immigration crisis? Certainly political steps need to be taken that would cut illegal immigrants off from welfare and American jobs, and increase funding by Congress for worksite enforcement, more border agents, and formidable fences along parts of the border used for illegal crossings. But even the best of these efforts alone will not likely produce the long-term desired effect. The ultimate answer is a combination of both a political and spiritual response.

What is desperately needed is for more Spanish-speaking American missionaries to go to Mexico and evangelize, with the goal of discipleship in a biblical worldview and related issues like economics that can change Mexican culture. This will ultimately make the homeland more endearing to its own.

The American Church must also do more to reach Mexican immigrants with the Gospel and a biblical worldview while they are in America. In his book Earth Restored, John Barber argues this point with some startling statistics. He writes: "In 1998, Mexican immigrants in the U.S. numbered over seven million. Let's assume the return rate among Mexican immigrants parallels the return rate among all immigrant groups. If 2.3 million (one-third) return home, and of that 2.3 million only one-half of 1 percent were to return as Christians with a plan to reach souls and Mexican culture with the Gospel, then almost 12,000 Mexicans would be sent to Mexico as Christian missionaries! This is in addition to native-born American missionaries. What would happen to the Mexican immigration crisis within several years of the implementation of this plan? It would be well on its way to being solved."

Indeed, America is a nation of immigrants. But let's not forget America was founded by Pilgrim settlers who came to these shores in obedience to Christ's Great Commission to "disciple the nations." When will we learn the answer to our problems are not strictly political -- they are also spiritual!