Does compassion have a limit?

I have been visiting churches this summer who pray for and help to support our work among refugees. I have noticed more people this year trying to understand the issues involved in reaching out to refugees. Often the questions people ask seem related to the increasing number of unregistered and irregular immigrants moving across America. Some of the questions I have heard include: “How much help is possible? Isn’t there a limit to our help? Do we put a limit on our compassion or do we limit the ones who are coming in? How can we offer endless compassion?”

The refugeehighway.com has recently highlighted news reports from the UNHCR website that focus on the complexities of the refugee highway. Many of the migrants in America have been forced onto the highway because of their own economic situation where the decision to leave is a chance to survive.

Michael Walzer points out in his book, “Spheres of Justice” (Basic Books, 1983) that refugees are stateless persons who need the promise of safety. To deny a person this statehood and security is a breech of justice. Jobs, education, welfare like food and medical care, are needs that can only be met after the question of statehood has been solved. This view helps to create a manageable limit around the question of who should be helped or allowed in and who not. A definition like this is helpful for addressing the questions from a political angle however it overlooks other human and spiritual needs that are just as great.

The reality is that refugees are often mixed within a larger migration group and it is difficult to discern where the true needs start and stop. The UNHCR offers a “10 Point Plan of Action” for addressing the reality of a mixed-movement of people. The action plan includes efforts to improve the information process to help combat racism and xenophobia. It reflects the ability to respond to diverse groups of people and needs.

In the end, there are no simple answers to the questions which people have asked me this summer. Christians and churches however, need to be among the first who are engaging these questions. This engagement is the first step toward the kind of action that the UNHCR recommends. It is engagement that seeks to protect and respect the dignity of every person and one that is marked by faith, hope and love in an unjust world.