“In the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, there is a command that runs through Torah like a hymn refrain. There are many variations on it, given in very many contexts, but the basic gist of it is, “You shall love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Those most likely to befriend strangers, in other words, are those who have been strangers themselves. The best way to grow empathy for those who are lost is to know what it means to be lost yourself.”
Barbara Brown Taylor, author, professor, and preacher, from An Alter in the World: A Geography of Faith