"I was a stranger, and you invited me in" (Matthew 25).
     Richer words were never spoken.  As he moved ever closer to the events that would result in his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus reminded his disciples of how he will know who really believes in him.  Yes, believing in me is a matter of heart, he told them often, a sincere and heartfelt repentance, a decided turning away from sin, but if you do not love your neighbor, if you do not put your heart change into visible action, it's difficult for me, he continued, to see it.  You're my beloved child, he frequently admonished them:  act like it.
     We who live in the affluence of the West have been singularly fortunate.  Those of us who do not, long for such good fortune.  When Jesus spoke these words, he was speaking to all of us who are able to "invite" the stranger in, to all of us who have the means to "invite" those who have not been as fortunate as us into our lands of plenty.
     In truth, Jesus was affirming and deepening what his Jewish brethren had known for years:  God, the Hebrew Bible constantly states, commands his people to help the foreigner, the stranger, the "ger" in their midst.  And he made no exceptions to them doing so.
     We of course wish to be safe.  We of course desire peace.  But God is a big God.  He can ensure compassion, he can ensure security.  And he can make them happen at the same time--without compromising either one.
     As can we.  We only need to trust, to really trust God.
     Pray for the West, pray for the rest of the world.  Pray for the affluent, and pray for the refugee.  God loves them all.
     And we can, too.