Church group puts up I-40 billboard quoting Leviticus to welcome immigrants, refugees

A new billboard went up last week on Interstate 40 West that quotes the Bible to encourage the acceptance of immigrants and refugees.

The billboard between Statesville and Hickory reads, “Welcome the stranger for you were once a stranger,” a quote from Leviticus 19:34.

It was placed by the N.C. Council of Churches as “an important reminder of God’s directive to be a welcoming presence to the most vulnerable among us,” according to a news release from the council.

Another billboard went up in May in Caldwell County that read, “Why support President Trump’s immigration ban??? 19 Muslim immigrants killed 2,977 Americans. Sept. 11, 2001. NCPastors.net. Sponsored by North Carolina Pastors Network.”

“Some travelers on this section of the highway may have already noticed a billboard with an unwelcoming message,” the Rev. Jennifer Copeland, executive director of the N.C. Council of Churches, said in a statement.

The billboard about the immigration ban has been removed, she said.

“We want to remind folks that God intends for God’s people to welcome immigrants, refugees, and strangers precisely because we have been in those categories ourselves,” Copeland said. “Clearly, those who subscribe to God’s teaching as revealed through scripture can do no other but to welcome those who come to live among us. Jesus himself was a refugee fleeing for his life from Herod.”

The Bible includes other examples. The children of Abraham migrated to Egypt in search of food (Gen. 47:4-6) and were welcomed. A few generations later they fled Egypt as refugees (Exodus 1-14). When they returned to the land that had been promised to Abraham and to his progeny, they were strangers (Joshua 1:1-9).

The N.C. Council of Churches is a statewide organization that represents 18 Christian denominations that encompass more than 1.5 million members.

“On behalf of the 18 denominations represented by the N.C. Council of Churches, we want the people of North Carolina to know our God is abounding in steadfast love and we must show this love to others,” Copeland said. “This billboard is a reminder of God’s grace in a world increasingly consumed by fear and anger.”

The billboard will be up for a month, but Copeland said the council will consider extending it or posting other signs with similar themes around the state.

In February, another billboard went up on I-40 West that read, “Real men provide. Real women appreciate it.” The billboard was seen as misogynistic by some and prompted a fundraising effort for counter billboards.

It was followed by a second billboard that read, “Much Ado About Nothing. A social experiment that brought forth those so immersed in their own insecurity that in the mirror they could only see an angry victim of their incorrect interpretation of a silly billboard – Bless their hearts.”

For more information on the Council of Churches, go to www.ncchurches.org.

This story was originally published June 29, 2017 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Church group puts up I-40 billboard quoting Leviticus to welcome immigrants, refugees."