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"Be cautious in welcoming the stranger. Love your Christian neighbor as yourself. I was a stranger, and you ran me through an extensive vetting process, and then you welcomed me, but also made sure to record any misstep I took. Extend hospitality to strangers, as long as it poses no risk to you. Blessed are those who are merciful within limits, for they will be safe," said Jesus.

No, he didn't.

Not even close.

Less than a week in office, President Trump made an executive order that flies in the face of a core Judeo-Christian teaching, and the values that America holds dear, values that have made America already great: he banned any refugees from entering the country for 120 days (and Syrian refugees indefinitely), and limited immigration from countries predominantly Muslim.

There are so many things wrong with this, both patriotically and theologically, as church leaders from multiple faiths have pointed out. As a pastor, I'm especially concerned about how inconsistent this is with scripture. So, here is what God actually tells us about welcoming the stranger:

"When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt." (Leviticus 19:33-34)

"For the Lord you God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Deuteronomy 10:17-19)

"You must not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt." (Exodus 23:9)

Noticing a theme here? God continually reminds the Israelites that they were once strangers in a strange land - a reminder than applies to all but the Native Americans as well. "Remember that this was you once," God says, again and again. "So you should understand."

But maybe you want more than the Torah. Here are some prophets:

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor." (Zechariah 7:9-10)

"If you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow... then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors for ever and ever." (Jeremiah 7:6-7)

Or maybe you prefer the New Testament:

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:1)

"How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?" (1 John 3:17)

Or maybe you're the type that just wants to look at Jesus' life and teachings. Here are a couple:

"An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.' Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod." (Matthew 2:13-15)

"'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you?, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me.'" (Matthew 25:34-45)

Plus of course there is all that stuff about loving your neighbor as yourself, which Christians understand to extend beyond the neighbor next door, and all the way to the neighbor in the next country, the next continent, etc., and stories like the Good Samaritan, in which Jesus teaches us to extend love and care to those in need, even when they are a different race, and their religious belief and practice is different from your own.

That God... what a radical.