The sanctuary movement refers to a religious and political campaign in the 1980s to provide safe haven for refugees fleeing civil wars in Central America. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship collaborated to offer food, shelter, and legal assistance to asylum seekers from countries like El Salvador and Guatemala. The movement emerged out of the belief that the United States government was complicit in the violence driving people to flee their homes, and that there was a moral imperative to protect those seeking refuge.
The Bible does not directly discuss the modern concept of a sanctuary movement. However, it does emphasize caring for the vulnerable and marginalized. The stories and teachings of Scripture offer principles that have inspired and guided those providing sanctuary to immigrants in need. Looking at relevant biblical passages can shed light on the ethical foundations of this movement.
Old Testament Teachings on Caring for the Vulnerable
The Old Testament includes many injunctions to look after those in need. Laws set out protections and provisions for groups including orphans, widows, and resident foreigners:
“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21)
“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)
“Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.'” (Deuteronomy 27:19)
These and other verses called God’s people to deal kindly with those who came as foreigners seeking refuge. The collective memory of being oppressed slaves and wanderers was invoked as motivation to care for others now displaced.
Welcoming the Stranger
In the New Testament, Jesus expanded conceptions of neighborliness and highlighted the importance of welcoming the stranger:
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)
“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…” (Hebrews 13:1-2)
Jesus’ famous parable of the good Samaritan also elevated care for the vulnerable, even those considered enemies, as a moral obligation. Overall, the New Testament emphasizes compassion and care for those marginalized or in need.
Principles for Modern Sanctuary
While not directly discussing sanctuary, Bible passages on caring for immigrants and displaced people have inspired some core principles:
– God calls his people to love their neighbors as themselves. In many verses, the stranger and foreigner are specifically identified as worthy of care and inclusion.
– Compassion should be extended to the vulnerable and oppressed. Biblical mandates to care for widows, orphans, and strangers imply particular concern for those marginalized or targeted by society.
– The experience of being foreigners should compel empathy and fair treatment of current immigrants. Israel’s time as wandering aliens in Egypt is cited to encourage care for those now displaced in their midst.
– Unjust laws and authority do not negate moral obligations to care for others. The Bible’s imperative to welcome and protect immigrants at times supersedes human laws.
– Hospitality is an important virtue and spiritual practice. Welcoming strangers recognizes their human dignity as made in God’s image.
These principles have driven religious groups and activists to provide sanctuary despite government policies or public opposition. The sanctuary movement of the 1980s saw churches stepping up to shelter Central American refugees when the U.S. government refused them asylum. Activists looked to moral laws higher than unjust human ones. They invoked biblical lessons calling God’s people to care for the oppressed.
The Growth of the Sanctuary Movement in the 1980s
The sanctuary movement coalesced in the early 1980s in response to refugees fleeing civil wars and violence in Central American countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Grassroots groups estimated that around one million Central Americans came to the U.S. during this time, hoping for asylum.
The U.S. government, however, often refused to grant refuge. Despite oppressive regimes and active armed conflicts displacing people, the State Department required evidence of individualized persecution for asylum. Most claims were denied.
As refugees continued to arrive, religious groups stepped up to provide shelter and aid. In 1982, Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ publicly declared itself a place of sanctuary for refugees. This risky act of civil disobedience launched the movement.
Soon, other churches, synagogues, and activists joined in offering safe haven. A network formed to house immigrants, help them find jobs and lawyers, and advocate for their cause. At the peak, around 500 congregations were involved.
Prominent religious leaders spoke out in support, framing sanctuary as a moral issue:
“The Bible calls upon us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and give sanctuary to the oppressed. It does not say that we should do this only if the hungry have proper papers, or if the naked have visas, or if the sick have insurance. The call to care comes from God, as does the call to conscience.” – Rev. John Fife, leader in the Tucson sanctuary program
A Coalition of Diverse Groups United by Faith
The sanctuary movement brought together a diverse coalition around a common moral purpose. Catholic and mainline Protestant congregations were heavily involved initially, joined by increasing numbers of Jewish synagogues. Quaker, Unitarian, and interfaith groups also participated.
Black churches drew parallels between the refugees’ plight and African Americans’ experiences of oppression. Major denominations like the Presbyterian Church (USA) and United Methodist Church endorsed the movement at national conventions.
Prominent leaders articulated the shared religious and ethical foundation:
“Sanctuary is an ancient tradition which believes that all people have a right to live freely. It began as a Judeo-Christian practice providing safe haven for individual fleeing tyrannical governments.” – Georgia Day, Methodist Minister
“The Bible teaches that God’s love has no borders. God cares for the alien just like any other person…we’re all brothers and sisters.” – Rabbi Balfour Brickner
Diverse faiths saw sanctuary as obedience to a higher moral law. Help for vulnerable refugees fulfilled spiritual convictions over adherence to restrictive human laws.
Civil Disobedience and Government Pushback
Giving refuge involved civil disobedience. Those involved risked backlash for defying U.S. policy on harboring undocumented immigrants. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) conducted raids, trials, and deportations targeting sanctuary sites.
In 1984, federal prosecutors brought charges against 16 activists including John Fife. The Arizona “Sanctuary Trial” gained national attention. Though most defendants received probation, the government hoped crackdowns would end the movement.
Many participating congregations continued to offer shelter in open defiance. The United Methodist Church’s governing body passed a resolution stating:
“We will not cease to aid undocumented refugees regardless of the consequences because we cannot deny God’s prevenient grace.”
In the late 1980s, mounting political pressure and stabilization in Central America led to declining need for sanctuary. But the legacy of religious activism in support of immigrants remained.
Legacy and Impact
Though the height of the movement was relatively short-lived, its legacy has been long and significant:
– Drew public attention to conflicts causing mass displacement in Central America
– Successfully pressured Congress to grant Temporary Protected Status to certain nationalities
– Helped spur new faith-based activism like the New Sanctuary Movement
– Demonstrated nonviolent civil disobedience grounded in spiritual convictions
– Set influential precedent for congregations sheltering migrants and refugees
The 1980s sanctuary network protected thousands fleeing war and persecution. But beyond material aid, it asserted faith-based resistance to unjust policies. This moral witness inspired many and changed attitudes on immigrant and refugee issues.
The New Sanctuary Movement
In the 2000s, a New Sanctuary Movement emerged in response to renewed immigration crackdowns. Congregations across the country began sheltering Central American families facing deportation.
Whereas the 1980s focused on protecting refugees, the New Sanctuary Movement focused on keeping immigrant families together. Grassroots groups advocated extending hospitality and due process to undocumented people vulnerable to detention and removal.
This incarnation applied the same biblical call to welcome the stranger to a new context. Churches provided moral witness against immigration raids and unjust treatment. And they prepared legal defences for taking the risky step of granting sanctuary.
By some estimates over 1,000 congregations have participated to date. Like its predecessor, the revived movement relies on spiritual convictions over politics to make its moral case. The legacy of the 1980s sanctuary movement continues today.
The Bible and Civil Disobedience
The sanctuary movement demonstrated that faith can compel standing up to unjust laws. When government policies restrict caring for the oppressed, religious conscience may dictate respectful resistance.
Scripture itself records civil disobedience under circumstances where human law contradicts higher principles:
– The Hebrew midwives defied Pharaoh’s orders to kill Hebrew boys (Exodus 1:15-21)
– Rahab hid the Israelite spies from the king of Jericho (Joshua 2:1-7)
– Daniel defied the king’s decree against prayer (Daniel 6:6-10)
– The apostles continued preaching despite authorities forbidding it (Acts 5:27-29)
While urging respect for governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7), the Bible allows that obedience to God can supersede obedience to men (Acts 5:29). Sanctuary participants appeal to this principle when sheltering those deemed illegal by the state.
Sanctuary and the Church’s Prophetic Role
The sanctuary movement demonstrates one way faith communities live out a “prophetic” role in society. The Hebrew prophets boldly confronted leaders and called God’s people back to righteousness. Similarly, giving sanctuary proclaims that current policies fail to reflect true justice.
Houses of worship provide moral witness by welcoming the stranger in the face of public opposition. They preach through action that caring for immigrants reflects divine priorities over political ones. Even at personal risk, prophetic sanctuary declares “let justice roll down like waters” (Amos 5:24).
Is Sanctuary Merely Symbolic?
Critics contend that the sanctuary movement is primarily symbolic rather than practically effective. Only a fraction of immigrants find shelter in houses of worship. And the government continues deporting those without legal status regardless of their refuge in churches.
However, the movement’s symbolic significance has impacted society in meaningful ways:
– Draws public attention to unjust conditions driving displacement
– Asserts Christian values of compassion and welcome over fear and suspicion
– Inspires others to examine their own attitudes and actions toward immigrants
– Gives vulnerable individuals and families time, safety and hope
– Affirms the dignity and humanity of those made in God’s image
Though limited in scale, sanctuary still serves as a prophetic act of moral witness. And it preserves the scriptural practice of holy hospitality.
Sanctuary and the Greater Church
Active participation in sanctuary represents one way congregations live out biblical teachings on immigrants. Wider efforts in the church also reflect this:
– Advocacy and aid for refugees resettled legally in the U.S.
– Missions providing humanitarian relief abroad to displaced people
– ESL, legal clinics, and other assistance to immigrants locally
– Fostering cross-cultural congregational life and inclusion
– Preaching values of neighborly love, compassion, and justice
Not all are called to engage in civil disobedience through sanctuary. But caring for strangers, sojourners, and outsiders remains an important part of faith practice.
Questions for Spiritual Reflection
The sanctuary movement poses challenging questions both for churches and individual Christians to reflect on:
– Whom do I fail to see as a neighbor worthy of love and compassion? What prejudices need examining?
– Does my life reflect the biblical call to welcome the stranger and sojourner? How could I grow in this?
– Do I base my stance toward others on cultural fears or divine grace? Which reflects the heart of God?
– Are there times when obeying human laws would violate higher moral laws? How do I decide?
– What could I or my church do to stand with the vulnerable who Jesus so closely identified with?
Seeking biblical wisdom on these difficult questions can better equip Christians to respond to immigrants in need through sanctuary or other Spirit-led acts of faith.