by Dr. Mark Creech
Director of Government Relations
Return America
This Christmas season, a Nativity scene in Charlotte drew national attention, not for its beauty, but for its shock value. A church in the Optimist Park neighborhood erected a display portraying Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus alongside figures styled as masked ICE agents, complete with tactical vests and handcuffs. The pastor explained that the purpose was to “disturb passersby” and provoke reflection on modern immigration enforcement and fear within immigrant communities.
The reaction was swift and intense. Some praised the installation as prophetic “protest art.” Others, including many Christians, saw it as a troubling politicization of one of the Church’s most sacred images. The controversy escalated when a man, visibly upset, knocked over part of the display; the church declined to prosecute him, choosing instead to restore the scene and continue the conversation.
See a good image of the controversial Nativity installation here
That conversation deserves to happen, but it should be guided by Scripture, not spectacle.
Christians must think and act from a biblical worldview on every public issue, including immigration. The Bible refuses two equal and opposite errors: a hard-hearted approach that forgets mercy, and a sentimental compassion that forgets law, order, and truth.
God is clear that nations, borders, and governing authorities are not human inventions to be dismissed when inconvenient. “From one man He made every nation of mankind…having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place” (Acts 17:26). Borders are not a modern obsession; they are a divine reality. Likewise, civil authority is affirmed as God-ordained (Romans 13:1). Violating the law is not morally neutral, even under challenging circumstances.
The Bible’s teaching on the “sojourner” is often misunderstood. In the Old Testament, the sojourner was not an illegal resident but someone living among Israel with permission, subject to the same laws: “You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native” (Leviticus 24:22). Compassion was never separated from order; biblical mercy was always exercised within a lawful framework.
Love for the stranger, therefore, does not mean affirming lawlessness. True biblical love seeks the good of individuals without ignoring the real strain illegal practices place on communities and institutions. Christians can and should advocate for both humane enforcement and fair legal processes without sacrificing the rule of law.
The Church’s unique role is ministry, not sabotaging legitimate public policy. The Church bears the gospel; the state bears the sword. When sacred symbols like the Nativity are used to advance partisan and unbiblical narratives, Scripture is not proclaimed but perverted and wrongly applied. Christ came to save sinners, not to sanctify disorder or baptize rebellion against lawful authority.
Against this backdrop, immigration policy has been a major issue in the 2025 session of the North Carolina General Assembly.
House Bill 318 — Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act
HB 318 strengthens cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The law requires sheriffs to determine immigration status for certain arrested individuals, notify ICE prior to release when a detainer is issued, and allow up to a 48-hour hold to facilitate transfer to federal custody. Although Governor Josh Stein vetoed the bill, the General Assembly overrode the veto, and it became law. It took effect on October 1, 2025, marking one of the most significant changes to ICE cooperation in North Carolina in years.
Senate Bill 153 — North Carolina Border Protection Act
SB 153 sought to expand cooperation with federal immigration enforcement by requiring certain state agencies to enter formal agreements with ICE, auditing public benefits to ensure lawful eligibility, and preventing UNC system institutions from adopting policies that restrict cooperation with immigration authorities. Governor Stein also vetoed this bill. The Senate voted to override the veto, but the House has yet to act.
Taken together, 2025 legislation reflects a clear policy direction: increased cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, reduced local discretion to ignore ICE detainers, and a reaffirmation that the rule of law applies uniformly. These measures work to restore order and the public trust.
When the Nativity is distorted to score political points, the problem is not compassion, it is confusion. God’s Word says, For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints (I Corinthians 14:33). The incarnation announces that God entered a broken world to redeem sinners, not to erase moral order or negate lawful authority.
The Church best serves immigrants and the nation by telling the truth, showing appropriate mercy, and refusing to trade biblical clarity for cultural applause. This Christmas, may we proclaim a gospel big enough to hold both grace and law, and may we pray for wisdom for those who govern, safety for those who enforce our laws justly, and hearts transformed by the Prince of Peace.
