It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice. — Hosea 6:6
Migrants are many times counted as lost citizens of the world. No one wants them. No one cares for them. No one supports them. “Go back” is usually what a migrant hears. The average person will never be able to fully understand an immigrant who is uprooted from their land because of war, famine, oppression or abuse. One cannot understand the pain, suffering, cruelty and loss of self esteem and human dignity when one has never felt even the remotest of such troubles.
Pope Francis reminds us that migrants and refugees should be welcomed around the world. He has warned against “the globalization of indifference” and said that our world is growing more elitist and more cruel towards the excluded. As Christians, he urges, we cannot remain insensitive before the misery of so many innocent people. We must not fail to weep. We must not fail to respond.
Overwhelming evidence shows that migrants improve and develop the countries they move to. They integrate, educate, and become model citizens. They work harder than many home-grown citizens, doing work no one else wants to do, at longer hours, harder jobs, and lower pay. Yet it is the fear and hatred of “the other” that causes government policies to grind against these unfortunates.
Several analyses make plain that many nations are in the midst of unprecedented demographic stagnation, much of it attributable to lower fertility rates and an aging population. What this points to is the need for immigration. Not only the skilled, but also the low or semi-skilled are needed to fill positions left vacant. More income-earning people means more taxes collected, more jobs created, more money invested in the homeland.
What the world needs is humanity. As Jesus said, “Go and learn the meaning of, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'” We can build a better world when we see the other as simply a human being caught in untenable situations. God would be pleased if we could all work together. My soul cries for these people. This makes me respond. It isn’t much what I do but it is something, and God will strengthen us for the challenges ahead. I pray we all can see each other through the eyes of God Our Divine Creator and work toward a more just world.
“Do not neglect hospitality, for some unknowingly welcomed angels.” — Letter to the Hebrews
— Gabe Hurrish, Bangkok, Thailand, September 2026
works in educational ministry at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, St. Joseph Bangkok School, Thailand. He has served as a Maryknoll lay missioner in South Sudan and now Thailand since 2018.
