我朋友的妻子是一位縫紉大師，她在久病離世之前，擬定了一個充滿愛的計劃。她把自己所有的縫紉設備，全數捐贈給我們鎮上的縫紉工會。她提供的縫紉機、裁剪桌以及其他設備，能幫助參加縫紉班的新移民學習縫紉技巧。我朋友告訴我們：「單單布料就有28箱，有6位婦女搬走所有的物品。這些學習縫紉的人都非常勤奮，渴望學習一門技能。」

但有些人對這些新移民卻有負面的看法，移民的問題已經在社會中造成許多的分歧。

然而在聖經中，摩西傳達了上帝的看法：「不可欺壓寄居的，因為你們……作過寄居的，知道寄居者的心情」（出埃及記23章9節，和合本修訂版），他還進一步講述上帝命令百姓善待移民：「在你們的地收割莊稼，……不可摘盡葡萄園的果子，也不可拾取葡萄園所掉的果子，要留給窮人和寄居的。我是耶和華你們的上帝。」（利未記19章9-10節）

上帝也宣告：「若有外人寄居在你們的地上和你同住，不可欺負他。寄居在你們那裡的外人，你們要看他如本地人，並要愛他如己，因為你們在埃及地也作過寄居的。我是耶和華你們的上帝。」（33-34節，和合本修訂版）

上帝訂立了標準。願祂使我們能有同理心，以愛心關懷在我們當中的外來者。

A friend’s wife, a master seamstress, made a loving plan before she passed away from a long illness. She donated all her sewing equipment to our town’s sewing guild, providing sewing machines, cutting tables, and more for classes teaching newly arrived immigrants. “I counted twenty-eight boxes of fabric alone,” her husband told us. “Six women came by to pick up everything. Their students are hard workers, eager to learn a skill.”

Others describe such newcomers in less flattering ways. The plight of immigrants has become a divisive issue.

Moses, however, issued God’s view: “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners” (Exodus 23:9). He further shared God’s decree regarding strangers. “When you reap the harvest of your land . . . do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:9-10).

God also declared, “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (vv. 33-34).

God set the standard. May He bless our hearts to show love to the strangers among us.