Choosing Love Over Contempt—The Question That Defines Our Communities
Choosing Love Over Contempt—The Question That Defines Our Communities
From Strangers to Neighbors: Choosing Love Over Contempt
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As Koreans were welcomed in America with kindness and hospitality, so must we extend grace and compassion to the poor among us. This faith-based reflection draws on Scripture from the Gospels and Old Testament, urging us to embrace God’s vision of community and love rather than disdain.
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A Story of Unexpected Kindness
When the first waves of Korean immigrants crossed the ocean to America, they arrived with little more than hope in their hearts and determination in their steps. Many found themselves in unfamiliar cities, on foreign soil, unsure if they would be received with open arms or cold indifference.
Yet, to their surprise, they were not only allowed to live but to thrive. Communities like Koreatown were born out of the grace extended by others who made room for them. Streets filled with shops, churches, restaurants, and homes testify to the hospitality of a land that welcomed them.
But now, decades later, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Faced with the growing crisis of homelessness and poverty, many in immigrant communities are tempted to respond not with the kindness once shown to them—but with disdain, frustration, and even contempt.
This is not the way of Christ. This is not the way of the Kingdom.
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Remembering Where We Came From
Every people has a story of hardship. For Koreans, it was the long years of colonization, war, and displacement. It was mothers carrying their babies on their backs while gathering whatever food they could find. It was fathers leaving behind everything familiar in search of work on foreign soil.
So when we see our unhoused neighbors setting up tents, struggling with hunger, or creating makeshift communities in the margins of society, we are called to remember: once, we were strangers too.
The Gospel Speaks
Jesus said in Matthew 25:35–36 (NIV):
> “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
These are not distant commands but living instructions. To turn away from the poor is to turn away from Christ Himself. To welcome them is to welcome Him.
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God’s Land Belongs to God
We often forget a simple but profound truth: the land is not ours. The earth does not belong to Koreans, Americans, or any one nation. It belongs to God.
As Psalm 24:1 declares:
> “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
When we act as though we are the sole gatekeepers of neighborhoods or cities, we fall into the trap of pride. In reality, we are temporary stewards of what God has entrusted. His command is not to hoard, but to share; not to push away, but to invite.
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The Prophets Remind Us
The prophets of old cried out against injustice—not just against idolatry or corruption, but against neglecting the poor.
In Isaiah 58:7, God asks His people:
> “Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
This verse calls us to act, not with judgment, but with mercy. Imagine if the kindness once extended to Korean immigrants had been withheld. Would Koreatown even exist today? If not for open doors, where would we be?
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Choosing the Way of Love
The temptation is real. The sight of tents and makeshift communities can stir fear, anger, or frustration. But the way of Jesus is not to harden our hearts—it is to soften them.
A Practical Reflection
Instead of saying, “They don’t belong here,” remember: we once didn’t belong either.
Instead of asking, “Why can’t they fix their lives?” remember: God fixed ours with His mercy.
Instead of building walls of contempt, we are invited to build bridges of compassion.
Jesus said in Luke 6:31:
> “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
When Koreans first built communities in America, they longed for understanding, room to breathe, and a chance to start anew. Should we not extend the same grace to those who struggle around us now?
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A Community Vision
What if instead of disdain, we chose solidarity?
What if instead of contempt, we chose compassion?
What if Koreatown—and all immigrant communities—became known not just for resilience, but for radical hospitality?
Proverbs 19:17 gives us a promise:
> “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
When we care for the least among us, God Himself takes notice.
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A Gentle Invitation
Dear friends, this is not about guilt, but about grace. Just as we were once lifted up by the kindness of others, so we now have the chance to lift others.
Pray for a compassionate heart toward our unhoused neighbors.
Share this vision of love with your community, your church, your family.
Encourage those around you to remember where we came from.
And if you feel led, support ministries or organizations working to care for the poor.
Let us not allow bitterness to harden us. Let us, as followers of Jesus, choose the way of love—so that the same mercy shown to us may flow freely to others.
Because at the end of the day, we are all strangers made neighbors, welcomed into God’s house, living on His land, sustained by His love.
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✨ May we walk in kindness, live in compassion, and remember always that the earth is the Lord’s.
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