Amidst much frustration with immigration system in this country, we need not look further than Iowa for some light. No, I’m not talking about the upcoming primary election. Rather, we should be inspired by the Catholic Sisters of the Upper Mississippi River Valley—twelve communities of Catholic Sisters in Iowa and Wisconsin. With their recently released billboard campaign, they state:

“We declare ourselves ‘Welcoming Communities’ in affirmation of our Catholic tradition that holds sacred the dignity of each person, and we invite other communities and people of faith to join us in becoming ‘Immigrant Welcoming Communities’ through prayer, reflection, education and action.”

Currently, the immigration debate is centered on the law of the United States—who follows it and who doesn’t. But as the sisters point out, we as Christians are called to follow a higher law. The billboards quote the “Least of these” passage in Matthew 25, which states in part,

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:34-40, NIV)

This isn’t the first time the Bible talks about strangers or immigrants. The Old Testament is flush with verses asking the Israelites to show compassion to the stranger, the immigrant, or the sojourner. For example in Leviticus, God commands: “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God” (Lev. 19:33-35, NIV).

May we as the Church learn to better welcome the stranger and love the immigrant as Christ.

James Colten is a campaigns assistant at Sojourners.