I'm an alien

Today we are reading John 12.37-50, Mark 14.1-11, Matthew 26.1-16.
On Thursday we'll read Mark 14.12-31, John 13.1-17.26, Luke 22.24-38.
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Every 3 years, every member of our family is obligated to renew his/her resident visa. When we first came to Lausanne, I was able to get a renewable one-year work visa because Wife had been here since 1969. After I’d been good enough long enough, I got a three-year permit.

Everybody, Swiss or alien, has to register with the “population police” any time they move, even if it’s within the same city. I’m also supposed to have my permit on me at all times, though no authorities have ever asked for it, except at the bank or the post office.

When we travel, we’ve got to carry our passports to go through border controls in and out of Switzerland. Normally they just wave us through. But if they think we’ve got a carload of groceries, then they’ll stop us and ask if we’ve got anything to declare. That’s when I share my faith with them…

I hear in America there is much talk about immigration these days. Here, there are the same discussions, similar problems, but different arguments. But you never hear anyone saying we’ve got to let people stay because Switzerland is a land of immigrants.