“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
When headlines erupt about ICE raids, illegal immigration, violent crimes, and families torn apart, Christians are pulled into extreme reactions. One side demands uncompromising enforcement. The other insists on open-handed compassion. But Scripture refuses to let God’s people fall into one or the other knee-jerk category.
God calls us to respond with His attitudes, and according to His mind—not the world’s rhetoric.
God’s response calls for both mercy and justice. The Bible commands compassion—real, active compassion—for the foreigner. Deuteronomy 10:19 says, “Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Jesus makes it personal: “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40) This isn’t optional sentimentality; it’s a command to treat everyone as God treats us. At the same time, Scripture affirms the legitimacy of law, justice, and national authority. Romans 13:1–4 teaches that governing authorities are “appointed by God” and bear the sword “to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” Because of our fallen nature, nations must have laws, borders, processes, and consequences—or chaos reigns. There is nothing unchristian about enforcing lawful immigration policy.
The line between mercy and justice is walked in humility, which brings us into God’s perspective.
Otherwise, we are greatly polarized by the evil from either side. On the justice and enforcement side, anger erupts when crimes occur—like the case of a 24-year-old undocumented immigrant in Maryland accused of murdering a 19-year-old woman (article here). Cases like this understandably fuel calls for stricter immigration enforcement because real lives are destroyed. On the mercy and compassion side, when families are damaged—like in the recent Idaho ICE operation where children were reportedly zip-tied during a raid at a racetrack, article here—outrage ignites because the innocent are caught in the crossfire of maintaining law.
As Christians, we don’t get to choose which kind of human suffering we will care about. Jesus cared about all of it. We must keep God’s glorious purpose at the forefront of our thoughts, words, and actions. Then we learn to live out Micah 6:8 in practical, everyday ways—not merely in opinions or social media posts. For example:
We “do justly” when we support lawful processes, advocate for honest law enforcement, and refuse to excuse crime. This includes speaking respectfully about officers who serve with integrity, praying for them, encouraging them, and supporting reforms that prevent abuse. Justice is not blind loyalty; it’s morality grounded in God’s truth.
We “love mercy” when we treat illegal immigrants with dignity because they bear the image of God. We can volunteer to help families navigate the legal process or connect them with trustworthy legal aid. We can pray for them to be born again. We can refuse to use dehumanizing language. Mercy, towards others, is putting God’s mercy towards us—into action.
We “walk humbly” when we remember that we are all in desperate need of a Savior, because, as Romans 3:10 states, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Every person in these stories—officers, immigrants, victims, politicians, Christians—is a sinner in need of grace. We are all flawed. Every person. Every profession. Humility changes the way we speak at family gatherings, how we comment online, how we pray, and how we react when a story breaks. Humility prevents the arrogance that assumes we know who deserves compassion and who deserves judgment.
The grassroots Christianity the Bible demands means:
We love others as Christ loves us;
We refuse to dehumanize anyone;
We pray both for law enforcement and for those who are in this country illegally;
We engage with each other with a view of who the real enemy is;
and
We allow God to direct every area of our life.
It never ceases to amaze me, how much better God is at my life than I am!
The world wants us polarized. Christ wants us transformed and unified. Justice without mercy becomes cruelty. Mercy without justice becomes chaos.
Humility keeps both rooted in the character of Jesus.
The biblical response to ICE raids and illegal immigration isn’t to cheer for one side and scorn the other. The biblical response is to reflect the heart of Christ—full of grace and full of truth. (John 1:14). Anything less…is politics masquerading as faith.
Prayer:
Lord, help me respond to hard issues with Your heart. Keep me from coldness disguised as justice and from sentimentality disguised as mercy. Teach me to honor authority without excusing corruption, and to show compassion without ignoring truth. Give me wisdom in my words, courage in my actions, and humility in my spirit. Help me see every person—immigrant, officer, victim, child—as precious in Your sight. Make me an instrument of Your justice, Your mercy, and Your peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
