“Foreigners and Refugees” (1 Pet 2.11, cf. Gen 23,4). Reflections on a Challenge of our Time in the Light of Scripture

Abstract

One of the “signs of our time” is undoubtedly the migratory phenomenon, accentuated by forced migrations that result in millions of people living as refugees. Faced with this situation, the Bishop of Rome insistently demands a response from society and the Church. The present contribution studies some of the innumerable biblical texts that deal with the theme of the “other”, the foreigner, the stranger and the relationship with him/her. Taking into account the variety of perspectives and answers that are given in the Scripture, and with the help of a theoretical framework taken from the social sciences, we will propose a classification of the texts that helps to understand them and find in them a logic that allows us to rescue the biblical message for our current reality.