Security or compassion?  That seems to be the locus by which many Western nations are choosing how they will respond to the continuing refugee crises sweeping the planet. Comfortably affluent, secure in their laws and traditions, most of the wealthiest countries on earth appear to be astonishingly indifferent to the plight of the many millions of people who are not enjoying the fundamental comforts of human agency and form. The appear to be blithely cavalier about the desire of these waves of human beings for a safe place in which to raise their families and contribute to the world's adventure.
     The people of the West of course desire safety, too.  Don't we all?  If I may, I offer a line from the seventh chapter of Ecclesiastes, which reads, "It is good that you grasp one thing and not let go of the other, for the one who trusts God will come forth with them both."
     Turning this verse to the refugees and the West, I say that, all things considered, we can do both.  We can harbor battered refugees while ensuring safety at home.  We lack only the political will and, more importantly, the courage of faith, to do it.  Though I do not claim intimate knowledge of the mind of God, I can note that, on the basis of numerous passages in the Hebrew and Christian bibles, God wants us to exercise love and compassion towards our fellow human beings.  He longs for peace, he longs for care, he longs for unanimity on the planet.  Yes, we must protect ourselves, and yes, we must look out for our families but, equally yes, we must love our neighbor.  As did the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), we must go the "extra mile" for our human brethren.
     And if we are to place any faith in the truth and validity of this verse from Ecclesiastes, we can conclude that if we do this wisely and rightly, yes, we can do both. We can look beyond ourselves.  We can look to the love of God.