“Who is my neighbor?” According to Luke’s gospel, this is the question asked of Jesus by a clever lawyer. Jesus responded with the parable in which a Samaritan encounters an injured man by the side of the road, after two stalwarts of the Jewish community pass by on the other side. Despite the fact that Samaritans were enemies of the Jews, this Samaritan disregards the obvious risks, takes responsibility for the injured man and does all he can to heal his injuries.

This parable, from my Christian upbringing, tells me that my neighbor is a person in need that I can help, despite the risks that may be involved. The person in need might me my friend, or maybe my enemy, but that is not the issue.

I believe that this parable, which most of us can recite, is relevant to the current refugee crisis. It is the duty of our country to care for those in this world who have no safe place to live or raise their families. We live in the richest country in the world, and we have the choice either to use our resources to care for them (here and abroad) or, as Sen. Daines and other officials would prefer, carefully avoid risks and pass by on the other side of the road.

Of course there is risk involved. The Samaritan faced it; but it is reasonably clear that the risk of accidental death in the U.S. is far greater than the risks that would be associated with welcoming 10,000 or more well-vetted refugees into our country.

Since the Mayflower, refugees have come to these shores, made their homes here and contributed to our way of life. It is to our advantage now to accept them, and it is our moral responsibility as well. —Sam Neff, Whitefish