Increasingly as we read and watch the news, the question posed for us is: who is my neighbour? That question has been hanging around since the first humans scratched their existence from the earth. And since the days of Jesus, the question is explicit as a lawyer wants to look smart by asking Jesus the question (Luke 10:29).

In the white western Christian world, there are too many who want to claim that only people "like us" are their neighbours. White Europeans - whether "Christian" or not have had to learn that you don't have to be white to be Christian and, in fact, you don't have to be Christian to be respected as a human being - a neighbour.

White nationalists - some of whom actually claim the "Christian" label in Canada and the USA seem not to understand these facts. Trump likes to please the ultra-right by typecasting all irregular Latin American border crossers as criminals, rapists, and murderers - even when they feel danger, poverty, persecution, and violence. Canadian politicians like Andrew Scheer and Maxine Bernier seem to have no trouble standing beside a white nationalist advocate like Faith Goldy - thereby confirming to racists on the right that even these mainstream politicos are flirting for their vote.

Too often Christian faith has been associated with the worst forms of racist superiority. The white man's burden was inspired by the call to "make disciples of all nations" to civilize (read: Christianize; to be like "us") the benighted heathen. In the name of God and the triumphant, conquering Christ, Christians too often felt justified to inflict horrendous suffering on others, justified by their "heathen", "uncivilized", "un-Christian" ways. The holocaust of Jews was the logical consequence of centuries-long Christian demonization of "others" who are neighbours.

What does the humble, but courageous teacher from Nazareth say about "neighbours"? He tells a story. A story that is has ingrained itself into common language when people acting altruistically to help others are called: "good Samaritans."

The story is simple. A fellow citizen travelling on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho is mugged, beaten, and robbed by bandits, and left lying at the side of the road. Pious, religious leaders coming by, but hurriedly look the other way and scurry on. An alien, however, not a fellow citizen, nor a co-religionist, finds the bleeding man and does everything possible to stanch the bleeding and bind his wounds, then transporting (donkey-style) him to a safe place. (Remember: there was no 911 to call in those days!!) At the inn, he paid the equivalent of two days wages for the victim's care and lodging, and stranger promises to come back to pay more if the bill were larger.

Simple but challenging. Jesus won't let lines of religion, race, nationality, social standing, attire become red lines between humans. Even the people we might be inclined or expected to hate (think whom that might include!) are our neighbours and divine law to love includes even these "neighbours." (Luke 10:27) They too are part of God's one and only one global human family,

Loving the neighbour - everyone in the human family - is obviously a challenge and a life-long lesson to learn. The Holy One insists on calling us all to learn it. Why? Because that is the essence of who God is! "God is love" and the principal sign of God's presence is love!

Anyone who nurtures disrespect, injustice, fear, hatred, and cruelty for neighbours in the human family is an alien to Jesus' Way and blasphemes the Divine and Jesus revealing the Holy, when s/he claims to be a Christian or justifies their way as Christian.

Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan challenges all people to keep learning the holy Way of loving any and all neighbours as ourselves.