#lovethyneighbor

The Catholic faith calls us to love and serve the poor, the vulnerable, and the stranger among us. Jesus Himself was a refugee, fleeing to Egypt with Mary and Joseph to escape King Herod’s persecution (Matthew 2:13-15). Scripture repeatedly emphasizes the moral duty to care for the sojourner: “You shall not oppress a stranger; you know the heart of a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 23:9). With America’s deep Christian roots, there is a moral obligation to offer assistance to those seeking safety and opportunity. However, this moral duty does not mean that immigration policy should be reckless or irresponsible. A well-ordered society requires laws that protect both the immigrant and the citizens already residing in the country. To allow uncontrolled immigration, particularly without proper vetting, is not an act of charity but of negligence—potentially putting both immigrants and citizens at risk.

In recent years, immigration policies have suffered from poor management and disorganization, particularly under past administrations, where border enforcement became inconsistent, and individuals with criminal backgrounds were allowed entry. While compassion is necessary, it must be paired with prudence and responsibility. A nation has a right—and a duty—to regulate its borders in a way that ensures safety and order. This does not mean rejecting the needy but rather implementing structured, fair, and effective policies that allow for thorough vetting while still extending a helping hand. It is possible that Pope Francis, in advocating for more lenient immigration policies, may not have been fully aware of the disorganization and security risks that past policies created. The issue is not simply black and white—Christ calls us to mercy, but He also calls us to wisdom and justice.

Last month, I talked about some of my work on a book project on medieval York, including some of my research into this very topic of “neighbors” in a chapter on loving God and loving neighbor.  For medieval and early modern communities, the idea of being a good neighbor was a high priority, as shown in recent scholarship like Faith, Hope and Charity: English Neighbourhoods, 1500-1640  by Andy Wood and by the numerous scholars in a recent collection The Experience of Neighbourhood in Medieval and Early Modern Europe by Bronach Kane and Simon Sandall. Medieval York was no exception to this prioritization of being a good neighbor. And here’s the thing: much of the conversation around “neighbors” in these medieval texts from the 1300s and 1400s actually lines up very well with what Tim Walz talked about in his speech. In answering the famous question the religious leader posed to Christ in Luke 10, a sermon from the Northern Homily Cycle expands the command beyond “love your neighbor as yourself” to specify that the law “teaches to love your neighbor and be to him in wilderness and dwellings as you would to your own body both openly and privately” (Lambeth Palace MS 260, folio 48r, translation my own). Medieval iterations of loving one’s neighbor in sermons from medieval York defined neighbors as not just fellow Christians or as friends, but also as anyone with whom you interacted– a rather expansive definition of neighbor!

I was perched on the back stoop of my house this afternoon, savoring a cup of tea while observing the dogs nosing around the chicken coop. Since both pups have a knack for chasing chickens, I found myself mulling over how to safely introduce them to the flock.  Those two were tearing around the coop, completely oblivious to the serious consequences of their chicken-chasing antics. I thought to…

👀✨ #Kingdom #War and the #Coming #King #Armour of #Light, Pt11 @WarnRadio

The Armour of Light, revealed as we see numerous items from the law like love being the first topic, as believers we are to owe no man anything but love. That alone can be tough, but through #ChristJesus who himself loved us and went to the #cross; can we do anything but obey this love #commandment. Paul also addresses adultery, killing, stealing, bearing false witness, coveting, and if there be any other commandment, we are to #lovethyneighbor as thyself. Taken directly from the law, we know that #Lovefulfillsthelaw and doing these things from Love is what the Lord would have us do. The point here is that Paul was stressing to the Roman #believers that it was "high time to #awake out of #sleep." By doing these things from #Love and #walkingintheLight as our #Lord walked, this becomes our #armouroflight. In #America and today's world, this is a challenge, but it is required of us. #ArmourofLight

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