NaClhv

Much of the politics today is driven by anger, fear, and even hatred. This means that we hear a lot about what's wrong - what's wrong with the world, why our opponents are evil, and how their policies are bad. Of course, this hinders us from actually progressing towards the good. Instead of aiming up, we just get jostled left and right in our hatred, while our aim slowly drifts downwards.

I seek to resist this pattern. I do so by explicitly aiming up, in at least one policy mired in controversy - that of immigration. You see, there is actually such a thing as the perfect immigration policy. It is the immigration policy of New Jerusalem - the Holy City, the Bride of the Lamb.

The relevant Bible passage here is Revelations 21-22. Although I dare not add anything to the text itself, I believe I can highlight and comment on certain verses. The following is the result of my best effort to list where the "immigration policy" of New Jerusalem is described:

"It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels" Rev. 21:12

"He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement" Rev. 21:17

"By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it" Rev. 21:24

"its gates will never be shut" Rev. 21:25

"They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations." Rev. 21:26

"But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." Rev. 21:27

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." Rev. 22:14-15

"The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price." Rev. 22:17

So, what are we to make of these verses?

Clearly, New Jerusalem has robust rules around immigration, and absolute enforcement of these rules. It has great, high walls, and angels guarding its gates. The walls are 144 cubits thick: this converts to over 200 feet literally, and figuratively, 144 being 12 squared implies perfection and completeness. There is no chance of breaching the city against its rules.

But also, New Jerusalem is not an isolated, closed-off fortress. It's in fact fully engaged with the rest of the world. By its light the nations will walk, and their kings will bring their glory and honor into it. And this light is not some trivial by-product of the city, but its very essence: the glory of God is what gives the city its light, and the Lamb is the city's lamp. The city shares its best with the world, and the world brings its best into it.

Indeed, New Jerusalem is a very welcoming place - the most welcoming place possible. Its gates are always open. Anyone who wants to come - for its sake, on its terms - is welcomed in. The Spirit and the Bride - that is, the city itself - say "come". And let the one who hears say "come". Anyone who thirsts can come and drink of the water of life without price, as a free gift, flowing from the throne of God himself.

But what about all these other injunctions and conditions, about how some kinds of people will not be allowed in? The unclean, the detestable, those who practice falsehood, and so on? If 'anyone can come', then why are there these conditions?

Well, it's not true that 'anyone can come'. What it says is that anyone who thirsts can come drink the water. Those who washes their robes have the right to the tree of life. You must be in the Lamb's book. Of course, all this is what Christian's call "salvation" - which is a free gift, given by grace, not of any work that you have done.

So how do we interpret this in terms of an "immigration policy"? I think it's pretty simple. You have to want to come to the city, for what the city actually has to offer - for what the city actually is. That is to say, you have to actually want to drink the water of life: you cannot enter if you intend to come in and poison it. You have to actually want the tree of life: you cannot enter if you intend to chop it down for lumber. You have to actually want salvation from your sins: you cannot enter if you try to hold on to them while simultaneously being saved from them. That doesn't make any sense. You cannot have it both ways.

So, New Jerusalem is both totally welcoming to the people who genuinely want to come to it for its own sake, and completely impregnable to those who wish to enter with false or detestable means or ends. And here is how we know that this is, in fact, the perfect immigration policy: because it's universally applicable. It applies not just for immigration into any country, but to anything sufficiently corporate and multi-bodied. It applies to your school, your business, and your club. It applies to single-cell organisms and ant colonies. It applies to you - in what you choose to eat, the media you choose to consume, and who you choose to marry.

After all, how could it be otherwise? In any of the above contexts, why should we not be completely open to those who come with their best seeking our best, who wish to partake of our true selves as they offer their true selves? And on the flip side, why should we allow any abuse, exploitation, or subterfuge in any of these interactions with the outside world? Isn't all this very obvious and simple?

Yes - and yet, not quite. Because on this side of eternity, we still lack the perfection of New Jerusalem. Here everything is less clear and more complicated. We have imperfect information, poor judgement, and limited resources - and we still must make our decisions. And so it must be that the above prescription can only remain an ideal - the principles of the perfect immigration policy, rather than the actual text of the policy itself. So each individual policy must be worked out, through the messy process of meetings and memos and committees, through funding and campaigns and lobbying. And that brings us back down to the world of politics.

So what have we achieved, if we just come back to politics in the end? It's true that we don't have a policy, but we have our aim. We can aim up. There are some who would read this post and think "is this for or against my favored policies? How can I manipulate, twist, or bury this to suit my political ends?" Stop. You are acting in a false, detestable manner. This is exactly the kind of thing that will exclude you from New Jerusalem, if you persist forever in your ways.

Instead, I invite you to aim up with me. Our ideals should dictate our policies, and not the other way around. I am in favor of any policy that takes us up towards New Jerusalem, in immigration or in any other area. I understand that there is a vast gulf in translating this ideal to actual policies, clouded by the fog of this fallen world. But I am willing to work with anyone who genuinely wants to aim up, and I have faith that the effort of those who do so can get us meaningfully closer to New Jerusalem.