I found it difficult to find a fitting graphic for this post, as the faces of immigration have constantly changed over time and place. Immigration may be forced or voluntary, driven by need or opportunity, labeled legal or illegal. Immigration is full of positive and negative connotations and politics beyond the simple definition of the word. Yet regardless of one’s views on immigration, one individual’s move changed the world more than any whole people group’s migration affected the world, a country, or geography.
Theologically speaking, and what we celebrate at Christmas, is the incarnation. This means, God Immigrated to our Community. The immigration of the Son was neither forced, nor driven by his own need, but instead we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14). This Jesus did willingly (John 10:18), not immigrating to improve the place he lived, but coming down from heaven to earth, from a perfect place where he is worshiped as king to an imperfect world that did not recognize him, not to do his own will, but to do the will of the one who sent him (John 6:38). He did not travel to us by boat, automobile, or legs, but crossed this boarder through the power and overshadowing of the Holy Spirit and the Most High (Luke 1:35).
Why would he do such a thing? God entered out community because we could not enter his. We are made to be in community with God, but it is not because of race or economics that we couldn’t enter God’s community; but our sins (the bad things we do) have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2), so he lowered his position in order to bring us up (Colossians 1:19-22). He seeks the missing (Luke 19:10).
The Word [the Son] became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
(John 1:14 – The Message)
