The Good Samaritan and the Immigration Debate

Who is my neighbor? Jesus' parable dismantles every argument for closed borders and exclusion of the stranger.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the person who showed mercy was a cultural and religious outsider, someone who would have been viewed with suspicion by the listeners. Jesus used this character to redefine neighborliness from a matter of shared borders or ethnicity to a matter of active compassion.

In today's context, this calls for a welcoming posture toward immigrants, refugees, and the stranger. Compassion knows no borders, and our neighbor is anyone in need, regardless of legal status or nationality.