Strangers in Humanland

In August 2025, I completed an internship in Recklinghausen at a shelter that welcomes people living on the streets with open hearts. They are called our Friends from the streets, and they receive breakfast and lunch there. During one breakfast service, a man asked me, “Sister, where are you from?” Before I could answer, another man replied, “She comes from Humanland. In our world, there is only one land, and that is Humanland.” His words moved me deeply. He has been living on the streets for five years. Perhaps life there has taught him that, in the end, we all belong to one land, the humanland. That day, I began asking myself many questions: If we all belong to this one human land, why do we fight over borders, languages, and religions?

The Current Sad Situation

The situation of migrants, for example, in the United States, leaves many of us speechless. For them, daily life can feel like walking a tightrope. When people speak of an “invasion” of “aliens,” when borders are sealed, and asylum is denied on the U.S. soil, such political language can feel harsh and frightening. These declarations make migrants feel unwanted and uncertain about their future. But how can a human being feel unwanted in another country if we all belong to one Humanland?

Tensions over Borders

In 2024, I travelled to Namibia to lead a seminar for young German volunteers who were spending a year there. One afternoon, I needed to print some materials for the seminar, so I went to a print shop with one of our MSC sisters, Sr. Crispine from Namibia. At the shop, I met a man from Pakistan. I was very happy to meet him, and he was just as happy to meet me. As we were talking, Sr. Crispine listened to our conversation and remarked, “You both seem so happy to meet each other. Yet in the news, we often hear about tensions between India and Pakistan.” The man immediately replied, “We ordinary people have no problem with each other. It is all political.”

Leaves and Grass as Food

We live in a world where nations fight over borders and attempt to dominate one another. These decisions are made by political leaders who remain safe and protected, surrounded by security, while ordinary people bear the consequences. Many are forced to leave their homelands simply to survive, only to face rejection in the countries where they seek refuge. In August, I met a boy from Afghanistan who had fled his country and is in Germany. His journey from Afghanistan took several months, as he travelled mostly on foot and partly by sea. As he described his long and painful journey to Germany, I was speechless. He told me that there were days when he had nothing to eat while walking for long stretches. At times, he survived by eating leaves and grass. Why must children, women, and innocent people suffer because of terrorism, political power struggles, and the decisions of those in authority?

Not Borders, but Compassion

After months of travel, when these people reach a new land, they are met with security barriers and strict migration laws. Many are rejected not only by their own countries but also by the countries where they seek safety. Wars, political oppression, violence, poverty, and the effects of climate change deprive them of the chance to live in safety and dignity, forcing them to leave their homeland and search for refuge elsewhere.

Is it my fault to be born a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, or Buddhist? Why do we fight in the name of religion? Around the world, religion, which at its heart teaches compassion, mercy, justice, and love, has too often become a cause of division. Is it my fault to be born in the country where I was born? Why do we fight in the name of nations and create borders?

These borders were drawn long before we came into this world. Some were shaped by geography, others by history, colonization, war, or political decisions. Why do lines on a map sometimes seem more important than the lives of the people who live within them? Is it my fault to speak the language of my parents? Why do we fight in the name of language? Why does language become a reason for division? Why do accents, dialects, or mother tongues lead to discrimination or exclusion?

Religion, nationality, and language are beautiful expressions of human identity, yet throughout history they have also been sources of conflict. We often forget that before we are Christian or Muslim, before we belong to any nation, and before we speak any particular language, we are first human beings. Why can’t we create space in this world for every human being? Let us move away from the attitude that our religion, language, or country is superior to all others. Let us not strive to make our own religion number one in the world. What our world truly needs is more dialogue and greater compassion, not more rules and borders.

We Come and go, Empty-Handed

When a child is born, it is completely helpless and must be carried by others. When a person dies, he or she is once again helpless, and others must carry the body. Life is short, yet within this brief time, we fight over many things that we cannot take with us. We enter this world empty-handed, and we leave it the same way. No land, no possessions, no wealth follow us in death. Why, then, do people cling so tightly to things they cannot keep? Why must ordinary people, mothers, fathers, and children suffer because of the ambitions and decisions of those in power?

I want a Humanland, and You?

In the Beatitudes, we read, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6). Yet our world often seems to hunger for something else: land, power, possessions, and wealth. Our world is shaped by the mindset of “my country, my property, my family.” Perhaps the man who has lived on the streets for five years can teach us to think more broadly to recognize that, ultimately, we all share one common land: the Humanland. I do not wish for a hardened or bitter world, but for a better, more compassionate one, a true Humanland. And you? I want a world where differences are not threats, but treasures, and you?

(Sr. Lini Sheeja, MSC, is a religious sister who has served in leadership roles in CRI Bangalore and Prison Ministry India, and as editor of Prison Voice. She is the author of six books, including O Justice, Where are You?, and her work Sound of Silence is published in six languages.)

Blurbs

We often forget that before we are Christians or Muslims, before we belong to any nation, and before we speak any particular language, we are first human beings.

Let us not strive to make our own religion number one in the world. What our world truly needs is more dialogue and greater compassion, not more rules and borders.