It is not just about migrants. It’s also about our fears.
“The ugly cruelty of our time tempts us to abandon any dream of freedom. And so we close in on ourselves, within our fragile certainty and security, inside the circle of people we like, in our safe routine. Withdrawing into ourselves is a sign of defeat, and it increases our fear of “others”, strangers, outsiders, foreigners especially today, when migrants and refugees arrive to knock at our door in search of protection, security, and a better future. It is not easy to enter into someone else’s culture, to put on the shoes of people who are so different from us and understand their thoughts and experiences. And so we often refuse to encounter others and raise barriers to protect ourselves. Instead of this, we are called to overcome fear and open up to encounter.”Pope Francis
