Finding Jesus at the Border: a look at immigration and Christians

Finding Jesus at the Border: Opening Our Hearts to the Stories of Our Immigrants Neighbors by Julia Lambert Fogg, a pastor and New Testament scholar, is a personal observation of the immigrant situation in the United States. It is a book which seeks to show American Christians what they can do to help our immigrant neighbors. According to Fogg, it is not a book to explain the complicated US immigration law and policy but to help readers to understand how the experience of migration and border crossers reveals God’s work in exciting and transformative ways. Using real immigration stories, Fogg attempts to draw parallels with Jesus’s life and teachings and the immigrant’s stories and attempts to put a human face on the immigration stories and debate. Fogg argues that Christians need to step out of their comfort zones and learn to cross the social, ethnic, and religious borders and encourages them to become advocates in their own communities and be an example of Christ to the DACA dreamers, asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants.

Finding Jesus at the Border is not the book I was expecting. I am a little disappointed. I was excited and intrigued to read it, but it quickly faded to disappointment with each chapter. I excited to read stories from immigrants and while there were stories from a few immigrants, it felt very flat. Fogg quickly focuses on the immigration issues and her biblical interpretations are inconsistent, and at times, a stretch. Overall, this book did not add anything new and basically calls for Christians to care for the immigrants as individuals not just a number on the news. While she provides names of organizations to get involved with, Fogg does not provide any contact information for these groups such as websites. I appreciate Ms. Fogg’s passion and concern for the immigrants who are coming to the US simply for a better life and I agree that Christians need to be more involved because children of God are involved; however, I feel she fells short in her goals. I do not recommend Finding Jesus at the Border.

Finding Jesus at the Border:

Opening Our Hearts to the Stories of Our Immigrants Neighbors

is available hardcover, paperback, and eBook