Who is thy neighbor

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”

—Luke 21:28

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It’s so phony. Some ADOS look in the mirror each day and still decide that America is our problem. Without considering, our ancestors, once enslaved, didn’t dream of going back to the land that sold them. Instead, they fought to make a place for us here. They survived. Now we live as proof of a legacy that couldn’t be kept down. Yet I keep seeing posts condemning America, even as people survive off the very idea of it.

Our ancestors used the Constitution and war to overturn a lie. They fought to make the promise real. They didn’t sit around waiting for handouts, living in fancy hotels, or being given Food Stamps. So when I hear people comparing the lives of ADOS to those of illegal immigrants, I find it both disgusting and offensive—especially when it’s coming from a fellow sister or brother. Illegal immigrants have the freedom to go home. Slaves did not.

I hear people talk about “love thy neighbor” without ever mentioning that sometimes your so-called neighbor can be a thief or a backstabber. They sneak in and take your resources—undercutting wages and having babies to qualify for free food and shelter. I understand the argument: undocumented immigrants (or “undocs,” as Gavin Newsom calls them) take on roles that no other American wants, so why not let them stay and do the work? But many of these illegal immigrants turn around, work for minimum wage, and call Black people lazy for demanding fair pay.

I know the Bible says, “If your brother offends you, turn the other cheek.” That implies your neighbor is someone who shares your faith and your values—someone who believes in the same God and lives under the same law. That’s your neighbor. Illegal immigrants not only break the law by entering the country without permission, they often falsify documents to remain here and marry in hopes of staying.

From around the world, nations glorify the ADOS struggle. They admire our tenacity. Only to arrive in America, they turn around and condemn us for continuing to be strong and for fighting for our rights. They do this while using every resource and opportunity to grab what they can. They step on the backs of the so-called, “poor, lazy, lowly” Black Americans with a snobbish pride.

Still, we rise.

We rise without shame. We continue to build, grow, and even control the very electricity that scorches us for daring to hold power.

From Mexicans to Haitians to Africans—many from lands destroyed by their own people—they can’t fathom how American Blacks, with our “lazy, broken, crooked” selves, still hold so much influence around the world. More than anything, they want to be just like us—just not the fringe ADOS.

They really believe it’s free.

So they tell the lie when they come to this country: “We are not the same as ADOS.” They say they will farm your land, nurse your cows, clean your house, cook your food, walk your dogs, and deliver your mattresses and couches. They do all this for $8 an hour, all in pursuit of the American dream. Yet they step on Black labor and drain resources in the name of “loving thy neighbor.”

People love to quote the Good Samaritan, but they miss the power of the parable. The Samaritan didn’t ask the wounded man how he ended up on the side of the road. This is true. The Samaritan didn’t judge his past or question who was responsible. No lie.

In other words, ADOS shows that same spirit toward illegal immigrants—voting Democrat and supporting policies like the DREAM Act. Meanwhile, illegal immigrants often look down on ADOS, even as they rely on the very same systems we’re accused of abusing. From DEI initiatives to low-wage labor, they benefit even more than we do. They come here, have babies, and tap into resources for housing, food, and healthcare—without ever having contributed to the system they’re draining.

It doesn’t matter how hard you work. Taking without ever having helped build is not the same as contributing. Yet they elbow Black Americans aside, claiming equal rights without documentation. If anyone dares to question it, they claim the right to resist.

This isn’t the Good Samaritan story. The Samaritan helped a man who posed no threat to him. The wounded man didn’t attack the Samaritan. He didn’t threaten him, mock him, or ridicule his position. He simply needed help. That’s what made the Samaritan’s compassion so powerful—it was a response to genuine need.

That is humanity. It is offering mercy where there is no malice. What makes the parable powerful was mercy shown to the humble, not empowerment handed to the illegal entitled.

Notice this: the priest and the Levite walked to the other side of the road. They acted as if they hadn’t seen him, as if helping him would defile them. They were too concerned with preserving themselves, their image, and their comfort. That’s what I think about when people argue that illegal immigrants are needed for farming or meatpacking, or to clean your houses or babysit your kids. They act as if that justifies ignoring everything else—as if shielding their conscience from defilement is more important than the truth.

But I digress. This passage isn’t about policy. It’s about individual humanity.

Maybe that’s what this moment is asking of us again—to open our eyes and consider who truly qualifies as a neighbor. Is it the one who humbles themselves before a stranger? The one who votes to fling the gates wide open, without wisdom or discernment? Or is it the one who slips through the fence—not to seek refuge, but to take?

Oh, the rise of the little foxes. “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards…” They sneak in quietly, feeding off the fruit we labored for and spoiling the vine before it can ripen.

Where are the shepherds of the ADOS community? Where are those who were charged to guard the gate—to protect our people and our resources?

“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves. Should not shepherds take care of the flock?” (Ezekiel 34:2)

The shepherds are silent. The watchmen are blind. The vineyard is under siege. The flock is under attack.

Right now, the world feels like it’s on fire. Wars rage in Haiti, Sudan, Syria—and on the streets of our own cities. Famine spreads. Ideals collapse. And AI threatens to redefine what it even means to be human. We’ve seen this before, countless wars throughout our lifetime—from Vietnam to Congo to Gaza—but this feels different now. It’s as if God is turning up the flame of fire.

Little by little, He is breaking strongholds, shaking kingdoms, and exposing lies. In that shaking, something is being revealed: the heart of man and the hand of God.

This isn’t just politics. This is prophecy.

The mountains are shaking. The seas are quaking. God is allowing the shaking, knowing all this will lead to world peace, as it is written.

So, as the world tears itself apart, I’m reminded that Jesus didn’t tell us to blindly let in the thief at the border. He told us to be the neighbor—the one who sees, the one who acts, the one who protects its flock with godly discernment.

ADOS not every man is our neighbor. Not every cause is holy. We need to open our eyes. We need to see the difference.

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AUTHORS NOTES:

Now, I know what I’m saying—the words I’m speaking—may sound hyperbolic, as if I’m just spewing one-sided talking points. But this year, I had a few renovations done on my home. Each time, a white man came out to give me the estimate. White men talked to me about the job, but every time, foreigners came to do the actual work.

To suggest that a Black man won’t take a job installing HVAC systems, putting in a fence, or even delivering furniture is the biggest hoax they’re telling people.

I’ll give you an example. My bed was delivered without the mattress support piece, which was missing from the order. The Hispanic delivery person told me the salesperson hadn’t included the part—even though it was necessary to assemble the bed. Then he tried to sell me the part for $250. He barely spoke English, but he managed to get that message across.

I called the furniture store, and they informed me that the part was included in the price. The delivery driver had no right to try and charge me anything extra.

I had him pick up that entire bed and take it back.

The store lost a customer.

And the delivery driver—who was not very neighborly and tried to rip me off—had to do all that work for nothing.

Not even a tip.

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