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The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong
Meet people who have fled their homelands.Hagar. Joseph. Ruth. Jesus. Here is a riveting story of seeking safety in another land. Here is a gripping journey of loss, alienation, and belonging. In The God Who Sees, immigration advocate Karen Gonzalez recounts her family’s migration from the instability of Guatemala to making a new life in Los Angeles and the suburbs of south Florida. In the midst of language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and the tremendous pressure to assimilate, Gonzalez encounters Christ through a campus ministry program and begins to follow him. Here, too, is the sweeping epic of immigrants and refugees in Scripture. Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, these intrepid heroes of the faith cross borders and seek refuge. As witnesses to God’s liberating power, they name the God they see at work, and they become grafted onto God’s family tree. Find resources for welcoming immigrants in your community and speaking out about an outdated immigration system. Find the power of Jesus, a refugee Savior who calls us to become citizens in a country not of this world.
171 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
119 people are currently reading
2082 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
May 24, 2019
Karen Gonzalez has written a must-read book on immigration for Christians.
This quote from the book sums up the crossroads that Christians should be at in our current climate- "Followers of Jesus must weigh the violence against God’s image-bearers, violence created by closed borders, with their own fears about national security."
Gonzalez uses stories of refugees and immigrants in the Bible to remind Christians how God demonstrated love toward marginalized people and how we are called to do the same. She also shares pieces of her own story of immigrating and working with immigrants to add humanity to a population that is frequently dehumanized in the media.
Highly, highly recommend this book.
This quote from the book sums up the crossroads that Christians should be at in our current climate- "Followers of Jesus must weigh the violence against God’s image-bearers, violence created by closed borders, with their own fears about national security."
Gonzalez uses stories of refugees and immigrants in the Bible to remind Christians how God demonstrated love toward marginalized people and how we are called to do the same. She also shares pieces of her own story of immigrating and working with immigrants to add humanity to a population that is frequently dehumanized in the media.
Highly, highly recommend this book.
August 29, 2023
A breezy, easy-to-read book about a weighty subject. Karen opens up familiar Bible stories about immigrants--Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, the Syro-Phoenician woman, and the holy family--showing how they navigated life in the ancient Near East as marginalized individuals. She intersperses these brief vignettes with chapters on the sacraments of the Catholic church: baptism, communion, confirmation, anointing the sick, and reconciliation. In these chapters she weaves her own stories as a Guatemalan-American immigrant coming to faith in Jesus and stories of immigrants she's encountered while working with World Relief.
The book opens space to think about the important issue of immigration in light of some of the core stories of biblical faith. A resource section and discussion questions at the end of the book point the way for individuals and groups to take action.
The book opens space to think about the important issue of immigration in light of some of the core stories of biblical faith. A resource section and discussion questions at the end of the book point the way for individuals and groups to take action.
October 19, 2020
Quick read. Several gold nuggets. But, there are several things that I find concerning.
There were several points that I found so well-said, thought-provoking, and wise. We need more Christians who are speaking into our relationships with immigrants. The fact that she is an immigrant and works with immigrants adds an extra layer of experience and knowledge. I would have loved to read more about her thoughts and experiences.
As far as concerns: I think extra caution is needed when the Bible is read from a certain lens. While we do see immigration/ immigrants in the Bible, we can't just read those stories from our perspective. One of biggest issues that I had was at the beginning when she stated that the book of Ruth was mostly about a immigrant women and not the kinsmen redeemer-- taking the point of the book away from being a foreshadow of Christ is a little alarming to me.
There were several points that I found so well-said, thought-provoking, and wise. We need more Christians who are speaking into our relationships with immigrants. The fact that she is an immigrant and works with immigrants adds an extra layer of experience and knowledge. I would have loved to read more about her thoughts and experiences.
As far as concerns: I think extra caution is needed when the Bible is read from a certain lens. While we do see immigration/ immigrants in the Bible, we can't just read those stories from our perspective. One of biggest issues that I had was at the beginning when she stated that the book of Ruth was mostly about a immigrant women and not the kinsmen redeemer-- taking the point of the book away from being a foreshadow of Christ is a little alarming to me.
August 6, 2019
Half the chapters are a very good Bible study, the other have great, humanized current events discussion, with a compelling autobiography weaving it all together. I highly recommend this book. Bought it at a local bookstore yesterday, started to skim the prelude and could not put it down. Have recommended it in three conversations since and am planning to lead a small book club at my church group using it in the fall. It so humanizes and simply describes the reality of immigration in a very accessible way that can appeal and relate to people coming at this with a variety of opinions and backgrounds. I eagerly await more of Karen Gonzalez' writing, whatever topics and stories she wants to address.
June 29, 2019
Yes! An immigration book written by an immigrant! But even more so, Karen Gonzalez brings a much-needed perspective, weaving personal story with theology and journalistic narrative.
March 8, 2023
The foreword states — “the story of Scripture is the story of displaced people.” And that is exactly the sentiment this book purports. The only issue? That it’s completely and utterly incorrect.
So no, the Bible is not about displaced people. It is about the Son of God who took on flesh in order to die a redemptive death that might reunite a sinful people to himself.
This book does the opposite of what it intends — this is no Biblical case for welcoming immigrants; it is a politically motivated treatise for immigration policy that manipulates Scripture to fit its agenda.
No, the book of Ruth is not mostly “the story of an immigrant woman who leaves her own country, language, and culture out of love for her elderly mother-in-law.”
No, we cannot say that “Abraham traffics his wife. He receives payment and grow wealthy from her sexual exploitation. He commits fraud by presenting her as his sister, a convenient half-truth, and coerces her into a situation with no way out.”
No, our takeaway from the story of Hagar should not be “unlike Sarah, who laughed at God’s promises, Hagar responds to God’s provision with open hands.”
No, if we learn anything from Joseph and his suffering, it is not “to welcome and embrace Jesus in disguise.”
No, Jesus was not “having one of his human moments” when he spoke to the Syrophoenician woman and no, he does not respond “to her as his disciples and other Jewish men in his day would have: with scorn and dismissiveness.”
And finally, no, Jesus was not in fact a refugee. His family fled one part of the Roman Empire to another part; so in modern language it’s like fleeing Maryland for Pennsylvania.
In the final chapter, the author states — “Yet, Christians are not called to value the false sense of security created by closed borders and walls. We are called to trust in God and to love our neighbors, particularly our neighbors in need. Closed borders in North America are not directed toward an existing threat of invasion by a foreign army but toward poor economic immigrants seeking opportunities and toward refugees fleeing for their very lives.” I don’t know if this sentiment is willfully ignorant, naive, or purposefully deceptive. I don’t even have words for how moronic of a take this is.
I do not know the author, nor wish to presume to understand her intentions, but this work of theological exegesis by a seminary educated individual falls squarely in the Matthew 7:22 category.
The hardest part of reading this book is that the Lord does care for the immigrant and the outcast — and that’s demonstrated clearly in Scripture through accurate interpretation, not this half-*ssed, poorly researched personal political philosophy.
So no, the Bible is not about displaced people. It is about the Son of God who took on flesh in order to die a redemptive death that might reunite a sinful people to himself.
This book does the opposite of what it intends — this is no Biblical case for welcoming immigrants; it is a politically motivated treatise for immigration policy that manipulates Scripture to fit its agenda.
No, the book of Ruth is not mostly “the story of an immigrant woman who leaves her own country, language, and culture out of love for her elderly mother-in-law.”
No, we cannot say that “Abraham traffics his wife. He receives payment and grow wealthy from her sexual exploitation. He commits fraud by presenting her as his sister, a convenient half-truth, and coerces her into a situation with no way out.”
No, our takeaway from the story of Hagar should not be “unlike Sarah, who laughed at God’s promises, Hagar responds to God’s provision with open hands.”
No, if we learn anything from Joseph and his suffering, it is not “to welcome and embrace Jesus in disguise.”
No, Jesus was not “having one of his human moments” when he spoke to the Syrophoenician woman and no, he does not respond “to her as his disciples and other Jewish men in his day would have: with scorn and dismissiveness.”
And finally, no, Jesus was not in fact a refugee. His family fled one part of the Roman Empire to another part; so in modern language it’s like fleeing Maryland for Pennsylvania.
In the final chapter, the author states — “Yet, Christians are not called to value the false sense of security created by closed borders and walls. We are called to trust in God and to love our neighbors, particularly our neighbors in need. Closed borders in North America are not directed toward an existing threat of invasion by a foreign army but toward poor economic immigrants seeking opportunities and toward refugees fleeing for their very lives.” I don’t know if this sentiment is willfully ignorant, naive, or purposefully deceptive. I don’t even have words for how moronic of a take this is.
I do not know the author, nor wish to presume to understand her intentions, but this work of theological exegesis by a seminary educated individual falls squarely in the Matthew 7:22 category.
The hardest part of reading this book is that the Lord does care for the immigrant and the outcast — and that’s demonstrated clearly in Scripture through accurate interpretation, not this half-*ssed, poorly researched personal political philosophy.
November 5, 2020
I am reading this as part of a church book study, and I would definitely recommend it. There are questions in the back for each chapter and the material is presented in a very clear and straightforward way that is easy to discuss with a group that may have a wide range of knowledge on the topic of immigration. Gonzalez weaves together her own personal faith and immigration story with Biblical stories and a light dose of immigration policy. I really like the main emphasis of reading the Bible through the lens of the "least of these" - the poor, the widow, and of course, the stranger in a foreign land. My favorite chapter was the last one, when she explains about La Posada sin Fronteras. I also loved learning how both Catholicism and evangelicalism influenced her spiritual development in different ways. It's a short book and it's worth the read!
July 29, 2022
“It’s uncomfortable and maybe even frightening for some of us to imagine having porous borders, especially in a time where terrorism abounds around the globe. Yet Christians are not called to value the false sense of security created by closed borders and walls. We are called to trust in God and love our neighbors, particularly our neighbors in need. Closed borders in North America are not directed toward an existing threat of invasion by a foreign army but toward poor economic immigrants seeking opportunities and toward refugees fleeing for their very lives. Hardened borders are designed to prevent the movement of the world‘s poor; a people whom God says christians should care for and not harm.”
This would be a good read for anyone interested in learning more about a biblical perspective on immigration. The author shows how migration and movement is woven throughout the story of scripture and is an issue that the church cannot be indifferent towards because God is not indifferent towards it.
Thought provoking, but more memoir than informational which isn’t exactly what I was looking for.
This would be a good read for anyone interested in learning more about a biblical perspective on immigration. The author shows how migration and movement is woven throughout the story of scripture and is an issue that the church cannot be indifferent towards because God is not indifferent towards it.
Thought provoking, but more memoir than informational which isn’t exactly what I was looking for.
October 17, 2022
This was a refreshing, insightful read. This book enlarges the reader's understanding of the themes of immigration and hospitality in the Bible, as well as teaches about the plight of immigrants, concluding with a question we each must wrestle with: will we be brave enough to live out "radical and subversive hospitality"?
July 23, 2024
I could read González’ writing about her story as an immigrant, as a TCK, and now as someone working to serve immigrants all day. She weaves together a beautiful composition of her personal immigrant story and a theology or way of thinking about immigration from a Biblical based perspective. It was a heart wrenching and beautiful read, and I was only left wanting to learn more from her deep wisdom!
November 19, 2022
I don’t think I can adequately describe how much this book touched me. I wish everyone who believes in Jesus would read it.
July 2, 2019
Wow. This book is eye-opening, challenging, convicting, and real. I appreciated Gonzalez’s raw honesty talking about the US and immigration and talking about key figures in the Bible. This book will not allow you to read it and simply put it aside when you are done. You will think about it- and you should think about it. Would highly recommend to every American Christian who isn’t sure what to think about immigrants/refugees and to every Christian who thinks they have their mind made up.
A few sentences that really struck me from the book: “Its uncomfortable, and maybe even frightening, for many of us to consider having porous borders, especially in a time when terrorism abounds around the globe. Yet Christians are not called to value the false sense of security created by closed borders and walls. We are called to trust in God and to love our neighbors, particularly our neighbors in need.”
A few sentences that really struck me from the book: “Its uncomfortable, and maybe even frightening, for many of us to consider having porous borders, especially in a time when terrorism abounds around the globe. Yet Christians are not called to value the false sense of security created by closed borders and walls. We are called to trust in God and to love our neighbors, particularly our neighbors in need.”
August 1, 2022
A Review of the Audiobook
Published by Tantor Audio in November of 2020.
Read by Joana Garcia.
Duration: 5 hours, 25 minutes.
Unabridged.
This is the second time in less than a month that I am reviewing and audiobook that covers the topic of immigration written by an Hispanic immigrant. In both cases, I came to the book highly prepared to like it and in both cases I was disappointed.
I have no problem at all with the points that Gonzalez makes in this book. As a Christian, I think many Christians have been on the wrong side of this issue for decades (including me, for a while).
However, this book just doesn't seal the deal. It says a lot of the right things, but it doesn't do the trick.
Issues:
1) There are pieces of sloppy research, or maybe just sloppy writing or editing.
For example, when the author asserts that the concept of borders came around with the end of the Thirty Years War and the series of treaties known as the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. I think she was referring to immigration and borders (which would be stretch), but the way it came out is that there were no defined borders. I found that to be quite ridiculous - all the more ridiculous considering the audiobook I am currently listening to discusses the peace treaty between Ramses II and the King of the Hittites which laid out clearly defined borders and led to peace between the two empires for more than 100 years. Not to mention the Great Wall of China - some of it has been in place for more than 2,700 years.
Another example is when the author argues that "chain migration" is different than commonly understood (in very short terms, family members of current American residents are given priority when it comes to legal immigration). She uses her own family as an example, but her example is pretty much a version of chain migration.
2) The audiobook reader, Joana Garcia's reading was so slow that I had to change the setting on my app and play it at 120% of the normal speed. This is my 602nd audiobook review (no kidding), this is only the 3rd time I have had to adjust the speed.
Garcia reads a lot of Spanish in this audiobook, including a long passage from Psalms. The problem is, in this Spanish teacher's opinion, Garcia is not particularly proficient at Spanish. She sounds like one of my more advanced high school students, not a native speaker. I found a listing for her as an audiobook reader online and they only mention skills in reading English. Why would they hire a reader to read a lot of Spanish who really can't read Spanish?
I rate this audiobook 2 stars out of 5.
Published by Tantor Audio in November of 2020.
Read by Joana Garcia.
Duration: 5 hours, 25 minutes.
Unabridged.
This is the second time in less than a month that I am reviewing and audiobook that covers the topic of immigration written by an Hispanic immigrant. In both cases, I came to the book highly prepared to like it and in both cases I was disappointed.
I have no problem at all with the points that Gonzalez makes in this book. As a Christian, I think many Christians have been on the wrong side of this issue for decades (including me, for a while).
However, this book just doesn't seal the deal. It says a lot of the right things, but it doesn't do the trick.
Issues:
1) There are pieces of sloppy research, or maybe just sloppy writing or editing.
For example, when the author asserts that the concept of borders came around with the end of the Thirty Years War and the series of treaties known as the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. I think she was referring to immigration and borders (which would be stretch), but the way it came out is that there were no defined borders. I found that to be quite ridiculous - all the more ridiculous considering the audiobook I am currently listening to discusses the peace treaty between Ramses II and the King of the Hittites which laid out clearly defined borders and led to peace between the two empires for more than 100 years. Not to mention the Great Wall of China - some of it has been in place for more than 2,700 years.
Another example is when the author argues that "chain migration" is different than commonly understood (in very short terms, family members of current American residents are given priority when it comes to legal immigration). She uses her own family as an example, but her example is pretty much a version of chain migration.
2) The audiobook reader, Joana Garcia's reading was so slow that I had to change the setting on my app and play it at 120% of the normal speed. This is my 602nd audiobook review (no kidding), this is only the 3rd time I have had to adjust the speed.
Garcia reads a lot of Spanish in this audiobook, including a long passage from Psalms. The problem is, in this Spanish teacher's opinion, Garcia is not particularly proficient at Spanish. She sounds like one of my more advanced high school students, not a native speaker. I found a listing for her as an audiobook reader online and they only mention skills in reading English. Why would they hire a reader to read a lot of Spanish who really can't read Spanish?
I rate this audiobook 2 stars out of 5.
March 12, 2019
Karen Gonzalez's family immigrated from Guatemala. She works for World Relief. She's got first-hand experience of the challenges that immigrants coming to the US face and her book, THE GOD WHO SEES relates this experience, interweaving her life's journey with a passionate appeal for immigrant rights.
Early on in THE GOD WHO SEES Gonzalez writes of God's call (in Deuteronomy) to provide for the foreigner "remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt." (Deut. 24:21-22).
She makes the point that centuries later, Boaz is only honoring that call when he helps Ruth and Naomi. Gonzalez calls it "philoxenia - a love of strangers and foreigners."
She brings in salient facts about current US policy that speak to a lack of such love. Like the calls for a stronger border wall despite the crime rate among immigrants being lower than the general population. And that the current wait time for a sponsorship Visa is 12-23 years.
"As much as I believe in laws, I also wonder if we often value our human-made laws more than the human beings that they were designed to guide or protect..." she writes. "Good laws are organic, not static."
She points out that we seem to have a "convenient amnesia" when it comes to immigration and the US' own history of being a nation of immigrants and refugees. "I often hear Americans proudly discussing their immigrant heritage - while in the same breath wanting to shut the door on the immigrants coming to the United States today. The implication seems to be that immigrants have changed. The truth is that immigrants are the same - they have the same need and the same humanity. It's the laws that have changed."
Considering Gonzalez's own spiritual journey, she offers words of wisdom for the faith community: "Many of us are familiar with spiritual disciplines that bring us close to God - disciplines like prayer, study and meditation are critical to our growth. But while these move us closer to God, they often fail to move us closer to one another."
Coming from this same perspective of faith, Gonzalez' offers a solution to how to treat the immigrant and refugee among us. "John's first letter [epistle] tells us that we can't love God, whom we do not see, if we don't love one another. There is no fear in love; perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18-20). Welcoming and embracing our immigrant neighbors is how we will transition back to philoxenia."
Early on in THE GOD WHO SEES Gonzalez writes of God's call (in Deuteronomy) to provide for the foreigner "remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt." (Deut. 24:21-22).
She makes the point that centuries later, Boaz is only honoring that call when he helps Ruth and Naomi. Gonzalez calls it "philoxenia - a love of strangers and foreigners."
She brings in salient facts about current US policy that speak to a lack of such love. Like the calls for a stronger border wall despite the crime rate among immigrants being lower than the general population. And that the current wait time for a sponsorship Visa is 12-23 years.
"As much as I believe in laws, I also wonder if we often value our human-made laws more than the human beings that they were designed to guide or protect..." she writes. "Good laws are organic, not static."
She points out that we seem to have a "convenient amnesia" when it comes to immigration and the US' own history of being a nation of immigrants and refugees. "I often hear Americans proudly discussing their immigrant heritage - while in the same breath wanting to shut the door on the immigrants coming to the United States today. The implication seems to be that immigrants have changed. The truth is that immigrants are the same - they have the same need and the same humanity. It's the laws that have changed."
Considering Gonzalez's own spiritual journey, she offers words of wisdom for the faith community: "Many of us are familiar with spiritual disciplines that bring us close to God - disciplines like prayer, study and meditation are critical to our growth. But while these move us closer to God, they often fail to move us closer to one another."
Coming from this same perspective of faith, Gonzalez' offers a solution to how to treat the immigrant and refugee among us. "John's first letter [epistle] tells us that we can't love God, whom we do not see, if we don't love one another. There is no fear in love; perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18-20). Welcoming and embracing our immigrant neighbors is how we will transition back to philoxenia."
March 9, 2019
"The God Who Sees" is partly a Bible study, partly a memoir, and partly about immigration policy in the USA. In each chapter, the author first talked about a person in the Bible who was an immigrant: Ruth, Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, the Syrophoenician woman, and Christ. Since the author is an immigrant from Guatemala, she provided insight into what an immigrant faces. She told parts of her own story and stories about other modern immigrants (why they immigrated and what they faced). She talked about USA immigration policies and issues that need to be dealt with and improved. She ended with some reflection and discussion questions about immigration.
Since my sister-in-law is an immigrant from the Philippines (and is now US citizen), I'm aware of just how long, difficult, and expensive it can be for an immigrant to legally come to the USA. I would agree that immigration laws need to be reformed, and I found this book interesting and informative. I appreciate the insights that she provided to the Biblical narratives.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Since my sister-in-law is an immigrant from the Philippines (and is now US citizen), I'm aware of just how long, difficult, and expensive it can be for an immigrant to legally come to the USA. I would agree that immigration laws need to be reformed, and I found this book interesting and informative. I appreciate the insights that she provided to the Biblical narratives.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
May 12, 2019
My mind was blown by this book. I'm a white woman who grew up in a fundamental denomination. It's just been in the last few years that I realized that I had only been taught one perspective of theology and have begun reading books exploring theology from other social locations.
This book is a fascinating mix of theological study, memoir (Gonzalez immigrated from Guatemala as a child), and primer on the US immigration process. I have read the bible through multiple times and I was still stunned by details that Gonzalez uncovered. Here's an example... Hagar was probably not actually the name of Sarah's handmaiden. In ancient Hebrew, Hagar means "Foreign Thing". This woman- who had already been treated so callously and egregiously, had an encounter with God in the desert in which she- a "Foreign Thing"- named God. My jaw dropped. I'm so glad that I read this book- I highly recommend it!
Disclosure- I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which I am always happy to give. ;) #TheGodWhoSees #NetGalley
This book is a fascinating mix of theological study, memoir (Gonzalez immigrated from Guatemala as a child), and primer on the US immigration process. I have read the bible through multiple times and I was still stunned by details that Gonzalez uncovered. Here's an example... Hagar was probably not actually the name of Sarah's handmaiden. In ancient Hebrew, Hagar means "Foreign Thing". This woman- who had already been treated so callously and egregiously, had an encounter with God in the desert in which she- a "Foreign Thing"- named God. My jaw dropped. I'm so glad that I read this book- I highly recommend it!
Disclosure- I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which I am always happy to give. ;) #TheGodWhoSees #NetGalley
October 16, 2019
It's wonderful to see more books written about immigration from a Christian perspective, and to see immigrants themselves claiming their place in the conversation. While I didn't agree with all the interpretation of the biblical stories of immigrants, I did appreciate reading the author's personal story.
June 29, 2022
One of my issues with the pro-life movement has always been the term “pro-life.” In my experience, it is an anti-abortion movement, but not a holistically pro-life one. The Bible specifically calls for us to care about the refugee and the alien, and yet I find pro-lifers among those arguing for the hardest borders. I was glad to come across this book when I was making myself a booklist for my month of reading about immigration. Although I think all of us should care about the immigrant and the refugee, I believe Christians are called to a higher level of care.
The information this book has is incredibly valuable and written with so much heart. I loved the structure of going back and forth between the sacraments of the church and figures in the Bible. I also appreciated that González brings her experiences with Catholicism, evangelicalism, and mainline Protestantism to this conversation. I’d relish the opportunity to talk about this book in community, especially amongst immigrants and refugees.
“…when we talk about immigrants and immigration, we are always talking about people who matter deeply to God.”
“For years, my goal was to become a mature Christian. I was surrounded by American Christians I loved and respected, and I thought "Christian" was the only identity that mattered. I firmly believed that Jesus did not care that I was a woman, or a Guatemalan, or an immigrant, or a bicultural person.
Despite how those identities have shaped and, at times, marginalized me, I thought I somehow shed them when I became a Christian. I now believe that Jesus meets me at all those intersections, just as he did for the Samaritan woman.
I am a Christian. But I have not ceased to be Latina, Guatemalan, an immigrant, and a woman. Because I now accept those overlapping identities, I'm free to love my whole self in all its God-authored complexity”
“It's uncomfortable, and maybe even frightening, for many of us to consider having porous borders, especially in a time when terrorism abounds around the globe. Yet Christians are not called to value the false sense of security created by closed
borders and walls. We are called to trust in God and to love our neighbors, particularly our neighbors in need. Closed borders in North America are not directed toward an existing threat of invasion by a foreign army but toward poor economic immigrants seeking opportunities and toward refugees fleeing
for their very lives. Hardened borders are designed to prevent the movement of the world's poor—a people whom God says Christians should care for and not harm.”
The information this book has is incredibly valuable and written with so much heart. I loved the structure of going back and forth between the sacraments of the church and figures in the Bible. I also appreciated that González brings her experiences with Catholicism, evangelicalism, and mainline Protestantism to this conversation. I’d relish the opportunity to talk about this book in community, especially amongst immigrants and refugees.
“…when we talk about immigrants and immigration, we are always talking about people who matter deeply to God.”
“For years, my goal was to become a mature Christian. I was surrounded by American Christians I loved and respected, and I thought "Christian" was the only identity that mattered. I firmly believed that Jesus did not care that I was a woman, or a Guatemalan, or an immigrant, or a bicultural person.
Despite how those identities have shaped and, at times, marginalized me, I thought I somehow shed them when I became a Christian. I now believe that Jesus meets me at all those intersections, just as he did for the Samaritan woman.
I am a Christian. But I have not ceased to be Latina, Guatemalan, an immigrant, and a woman. Because I now accept those overlapping identities, I'm free to love my whole self in all its God-authored complexity”
“It's uncomfortable, and maybe even frightening, for many of us to consider having porous borders, especially in a time when terrorism abounds around the globe. Yet Christians are not called to value the false sense of security created by closed
borders and walls. We are called to trust in God and to love our neighbors, particularly our neighbors in need. Closed borders in North America are not directed toward an existing threat of invasion by a foreign army but toward poor economic immigrants seeking opportunities and toward refugees fleeing
for their very lives. Hardened borders are designed to prevent the movement of the world's poor—a people whom God says Christians should care for and not harm.”
April 8, 2020
This book is wonderful. When I was traveling in Arizona on my immigration policy course, it really struck me how immigrants are the main characters of the Bible - like how Moses was adopted into the Egyptian ruling family in a time when the migrant tribe of Israel was under persecution and oppression, or how Ruth went to a foreign land and ended up marrying into an entirely new family, even though she was entirely different. This book uses Karen González's personal story of immigrating from Guatemala to the US and the difficulties of her family in that journey to invite Christians to welcome in immigrants as equals (fellow image-bearers of God), for in doing so, we welcome in God.
There is so much refreshing perspective brought through historical context, context through multiple Biblical accounts of the immigrant's journey (including that of Jesus when he and his parents were fleeing King Herod to Egypt), and present-day context. And since Karen grew up in the US, the situation since her family had migrated to the States has only gotten more difficult. Something needs to change, and we need to see and recognize the difficulties of immigrants in the US as God does. "Though the world may ignore the afflictions of immigrants, God sees clearly, cares deeply, and acts decisively in Christ. Though they are marginalized in the world, immigrants are significant in the eyes of God."
There is so much refreshing perspective brought through historical context, context through multiple Biblical accounts of the immigrant's journey (including that of Jesus when he and his parents were fleeing King Herod to Egypt), and present-day context. And since Karen grew up in the US, the situation since her family had migrated to the States has only gotten more difficult. Something needs to change, and we need to see and recognize the difficulties of immigrants in the US as God does. "Though the world may ignore the afflictions of immigrants, God sees clearly, cares deeply, and acts decisively in Christ. Though they are marginalized in the world, immigrants are significant in the eyes of God."
January 18, 2020
Yes to immigration books written by immigrants! Gonzalez has a unique perspective on immigration as someone who was an immigrant from Guatemala, worked with immigrants and refugees through World Relief, and has also studied theology and Scripture. The ideas and biblical connections she presents here are great! Really good starting place for any Christian who wants to better understand the importance of extending philoxenia (love to strangers).
I just wish that she had gone deeper. Most of the issues mentioned in the short chapters are not well-developed and leave a lot to be desired if you already have a good knowledge of immigration issues or the biblical command to love foreigners. Still, this book is a great start and even has a very helpful resource section at the end with some concrete steps for loving our immigrant and refugee neighbors.
3.5 stars rounded up.
I just wish that she had gone deeper. Most of the issues mentioned in the short chapters are not well-developed and leave a lot to be desired if you already have a good knowledge of immigration issues or the biblical command to love foreigners. Still, this book is a great start and even has a very helpful resource section at the end with some concrete steps for loving our immigrant and refugee neighbors.
3.5 stars rounded up.
January 24, 2024
Love the heart behind this book. I think some of the comparisons of biblical characters to modern day immigration labels was a bit of a stretch, but there was a lot of good stuff in here too. I especially loved the parts about her story. Other thing is the writing style is really simplistic? Like YA level. Nothing wrong with that just an observation. I think if you’ve never considered how Hagar, Abraham, etc were foreigners and sojourners in other lands, this book would be huge for you. Also appreciated the end about practical action steps and resources, and I will be going back to reference that.
“When we talk about immigrants and immigration, we are always talking about people who matter deeply to God”
“When we talk about immigrants and immigration, we are always talking about people who matter deeply to God”
March 5, 2025
Good book! Good connections and context given to immigrant stories in the Bible! Definitely recommend for those Christians who are uhhhhhhhh pro-wall 🥲
Though I understand where the suggestions at the end come from, it also feels a little funky and…. hmmm…. like idk why it’s giving zoo to me? It’s giving “pity every immigrant you come across” at least to me, I may be reading too far into it. Kinda suggests that we should be friends with immigrants ~because they’re immigrants and not because they’re… folks..? again. I’m probably reading too far into it. But I always feel very cautious about that sort of sentiment.
Though I understand where the suggestions at the end come from, it also feels a little funky and…. hmmm…. like idk why it’s giving zoo to me? It’s giving “pity every immigrant you come across” at least to me, I may be reading too far into it. Kinda suggests that we should be friends with immigrants ~because they’re immigrants and not because they’re… folks..? again. I’m probably reading too far into it. But I always feel very cautious about that sort of sentiment.
December 18, 2020
Studied this book with a local church and we had a group of 10-14 each week. We covered two weeks at a time. Loved the fact there were discussion questions for each chapter. This would be a good book to read for EVERYONE. There are personal stories but notes with sources so you can do additional research. What did I learn from this book? We need to care for the immigrants, and we could do so much better. There are practical examples on how you can make a difference. This book brings awareness to an issue I never really thought of before I read it. It changed me and my perspective.
July 15, 2023
This was a really great read, and honestly the first time I have focused on immigrants within the Bible. I have never really thought about Hagar before, but her story is really cool. Her name translates to “foreign thing” and she is the first person in scripture to receive an annunciation from God. An immigrant slave woman on the run from Abram and Sarai is first. She is also the first to give God a name, calling Him “The God Who Sees”.
“Hardened borders are designed to prevent the movement of the worlds poorest- a people whom God says Christians should care for and not harm”
“Hardened borders are designed to prevent the movement of the worlds poorest- a people whom God says Christians should care for and not harm”
September 9, 2022
I highly recommend this to anyone seeking a biblical perspective on immigration. Gonzalez uses both Scripture and personal experience (her own and what she’s observed working at World Relief) to provide new insights on God’s love and compassion for immigrants and refugees. I particularly appreciated the way she contextualizes biblical narratives to remind us how God sees vulnerable people and calls us to love them through action.
June 28, 2023
I think that this would be a great book for Christians who are conservative and want to be thoughtful about the Biblical perspective on immigration. That isn’t exactly me, but I appreciated Gonzalez’s thoughtful look at how God cares for immigrants and vulnerable people in the Bible. I also learned a lot from the stories of immigrants in the US (including the author) and their treatment. I found myself questioning / wanting a bit more from the application/analysis of how this should impact our perspective on immigration policy.
December 19, 2023
A very interesting perspective of immigration from one who is an immigrant herself. She ties today’s immigration laws in with stories of immigrants/foreigners in the Bible. She writes from a Christian perspective. She shares stories of real immigrants to the US and what they encountered when they got here. She includes resources to learn more, to get involved and how to contact your representative/senator concerning immigration.
January 20, 2021
This was an excellent quick read on the Biblical case for open borders, and how God sees refugees and immigrants told in alternating autobiographical chapters and chapters highlighting Joseph, Abraham and Sarah, Hagar, Mary & Joseph, and the Syrophoenician woman.
June 23, 2020
I just wish I could make everyone read this.
December 27, 2020
This is a great introduction to our modern immigration issues for Christian audiences.
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