Faith, Justice, and My Work: Loving Our Global Neighbour
This Guest Post from Ashley reflects on how faith and justice have shaped a 20-year journey in international development, rooted in the biblical truth that every person is made in God’s image and therefore deserves dignity, respect, and care.
Drawing on experiences from Zambia to Bangladesh and Uganda, it explores how love, as Jesus defined in the parable of the Good Samaritan, is not sentiment but costly, practical action that transcends cultural and social divides.
Whether in policy, logistics, or fieldwork, every act that restores dignity reflects God’s heart, and while not everyone is called to development work, all Christians are called to love their neighbour; welcoming the vulnerable, challenging injustice, and embodying Christ’s sacrificial compassion in daily life.
The world can feel a little bit crazy at the moment. Conflicts rage on, the climate crisis is uprooting communities, and millions are forced to leave behind everything familiar to seek safety and survival. In the midst of this ever-changing landscape I have spent the past twenty years working in international development, a career that has been deeply shaped by my faith.
From the very beginning of Scripture, God sets the tone for how we should see one another. Genesis 1:27 tells us, “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them.” Being made in God’s image means that every single person—whether a neighbour on my street or a refugee on the other side of the world—deserves dignity, respect, and care.
This idea carries through God’s story with His people. When He called Abraham, He charged him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice. The Hebrew word used there, tzedakah, is not about being vaguely “good.” It describes an ethical standard of right relationships between people. It’s about treating others as God’s image-bearers, living in a way that reflects His justice and mercy in practical, tangible ways.
And this call becomes even sharper when it comes to the vulnerable. Time and again, the Bible highlights the widow, the orphan, and the immigrant as groups close to God’s heart – those most vulnerable in society.
If God is so deeply concerned with these groups, then surely His people must be, too.
My Journey into Development
I stumbled into this field in my early twenties with a biblical studies degree in my hand, a burning sense of injustice in my heart, and no idea what to do with either of these things. I volunteered in Zambia, where I met my husband, and spent several years working in slum communities around Ndola. Those years were formative—eye-opening and sometimes heartbreaking. I saw how often well-meaning missionary groups could unintentionally dismantle local economies with their goodwill but lack of understanding of context and culture. I realised that passion alone was not enough; I needed training and experience to work wisely and sustainably.
Returning to the UK, I studied how development could be done with dignity and from the bottom up. Since then, I have had the privilege of working with large international organisations, tiny community-based initiatives, and everything in between.
My work comes to life for me when I get to sit and talk in person with the people we are trying to serve. Sometimes this has been wading through flooded refugee camps in Bangladesh with Rohingya children, or sitting in dusty fields working through community-led solutions to child protection in Uganda. But the daily reality of my job is that I am sat at my desk looking out at a drizzly British sky considering logistics, policies, or funding proposals. Sometimes it can seem dull but that’s okay. I’m reminded that even our church needs strong logistics and policies to reach our community. Every act and every project that restores dignity is part of God’s heart for the world.
Love in Action
Many of us know the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. When asked who qualifies as a “neighbour,” Jesus tells of a man who was beaten and left for dead. The hero of the story is not the religious leaders who walk by, but a Samaritan—a person despised and distrusted by Jews—who stops to help.
In this parable, Jesus redefines two crucial ideas:
- What does it mean to love?
Jesus doesn’t describe love as a feeling or emotion. He shows us love in action: meeting someone’s material, physical, and economic needs, even when it requires sacrifice. Love, according to Jesus, is not optional kindness—it is active, costly involvement in the lives of others. - Who is my neighbour?
Our neighbour is not just the person who looks like us, thinks like us, or lives near us. It is anyone in need—across social, political, and cultural divides. Jesus dismantles the idea of “deserving” versus “undeserving” compassion. We are called to love not only those who are easy to love but also those whom society tells us to fear or reject.
It is tempting to divide people into categories: the deserving vs undeserving poor (or deserving vs undeserving refugee). But the gospel leaves no room for that. All of us are undeserving. Spiritually, we were lying broken on the road, and Christ came to us with compassion. He saved us at the cost of His life.
Why It Matters
We may not all be called to work in international development. But as Christians we are all called to love our neighbour. That might mean welcoming a family into your community, advocating for fairer policies, or standing up against the narratives of fear and division we hear every day.
When Jesus said that loving God and loving our neighbour were the greatest commandments, He wasn’t giving us lofty ideals. He was giving us a way of life. My prayer is that as God opens our eyes to the needs around us, we would see His image in every person, and respond with the same sacrificial love that He first showed us.
About The Author
Ashley has worked in international development for over 20 years, specialising in participatory evaluation, education and displacement.
She has two high energy children, an even higher energy husband and a rather docile by comparison golden retriever who conspire together to keep her house a mess but her heart full.
She deeply loves her local church and Jesus.