Wannaskan Almanac for Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Illegal Cross

With all the unrest going on in the world of immigration and ICE, I want to take us to a small book tucked quietly in the New Testament—Philemon. It’s only one chapter long, but it carries a story that speaks loudly into one of the most heated conversations of our day: how Christians should think about illegal immigration.

The story centers around a man named Onesimus.  He was a runaway slave—someone who had left his obligations, broken the law of his time, and fled. In Rome, he met the apostle Paul, and under Paul’s ministry, Onesimus became a believer… a brother in Christ.

But here’s where the tension comes in.

Onesimus had to go back.  Paul loved him and valued him. Paul even said, “He is useful to me.”  But Paul also knew Onesimus had unfinished business. He had obligations. He had wrongs to make right. He had a master he had fled from. And so Paul sent him back—not as punishment, but as part of repentance, restoration, and integrity.

There’s a side of the immigration debate that resonates with this.

There are laws and obligations.  There are systems that exist for a reason, and Scripture never encourages us to ignore righteousness, order, or accountability. Onesimus had to face what he had run from.

But that’s only half the story.

Philemon had to accept Onesimus as a brother.  Paul didn’t just send Onesimus back with a “good luck.”  He sent him with a letter—a letter urging Philemon to receive Onesimus not as a slave, not as a criminal, not as a runaway… but as family.

Paul writes, “Receive him as you would receive me.” In other words:  Don’t just see his past. See his new identity.  Don’t just see his status. See his soul.  Don’t just see the law he broke. See the Savior who redeemed him.

There’s a side of the immigration debate that resonates with this too.  People who cross borders—legally or illegally—are people made in the image of God.  They can be people fleeing danger.

People longing for hope and a better life.  People who need compassion, dignity, and the love of Christ.

Scripture doesn’t avoid the tension in this situation.  It doesn’t give us a neat “ah…” answer.  It gives us a story where both sides carry weight.  Onesimus needed to return.  Philemon needed to embrace. And Paul held both truths at the same time.

So what do we do with this?  I’m not writing this  to give you a policy or to  tell you which side is right.  I’m here to ask you to examine your heart.

To my brothers and sisters who came here illegally or are living in the shadows:  Are you willing to let Christ lead you into integrity, even when it’s costly?  Are you willing to face hard truths, seek lawful paths, and trust God with the consequences?

To my brothers and sisters who are citizens and believers:

Are you willing to see immigrants—legal or illegal—as people Christ died for?  Are you willing to let compassion soften your tone, widen your table, and challenge your assumptions?

To all of us:  Are we willing to hold truth and grace together…the way Paul did?  the way Christ does?

The truth is that the Gospel doesn’t always give us easy answers, but it does give us a Savior who transforms hearts—and hearts are where real change begins.