Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. (Leviticus 25:35)
(Tim, w/thanks to Lucas) Yesterday's New York Times carried an article titled, "Stifled, Egypt's Young Turn to Religious Fervor," explaining the newfound religious commitment of Egypt's young men and women that's changing the political complexion of the nation, but also other nations across the Middle East. Promised upward mobility following the completion of their education, young men and women have found themselves at a dead end, lacking even the resources for marriage. So they sit through their twenties and into their thirties with no hope for marriage, a family, or the status they confer. So, in droves these young men and women are turning to the mosque, daily prayers, and the Koran:
They think maybe they get nothing in this world, but they will get something in the other life.
Thinking about young people like this around the world is what has kept me from being a hard-liner on immigration. What kind of concern should we have for the sojourner in our midst? Or should we simply try to keep him out of our midst?
Last night I met, and had a delightful fifteen-minute conversation with, Maria and Eduardo from La Ciudad de Mexico. In Eduardo's arms was a beautiful four-week-old son, Cesar. They came to study at Indiana University, but couldn't afford it. So now, Maria works as a cashier at a local restaurant and Eduardo cares for their son. I'm happy they're here and I'll do what I can to welcome them. A father who carries his four-week old son through the aisles of Kroger as his wife shops--that's the kind of man I want here in these United States!
