God calls us to care for those who are vulnerable. To love our neighbour is the second greatest commandment, after loving God. Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan teaches that our neighbour is anyone who is in need.
In both the Old and New Testaments, the people of Israel and followers of Jesus were commanded to care for the foreigner, the widow, the orphan and the poor. Another parable tells us that when we serve those who are sick, in prison or poor -- the vulnerable in our society -- we are serving Christ (Matthew 25:34-36).
Canada’s social assistance programs and universally available healthcare reflect a care for the vulnerable. This is also evident in refugee settlement and overseas development aid.