Rightly Ordered Love
“The Good Samaritan tending the wounds of the traveler (Luke 10: 25-37)” (1665) by Nicolaes Roosendael, Frans Hal Museum (Accession No. os I-297), Source/Photographer Geheugen van Nederland, (PD)
“‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12: 30-31).
When questioned about the Trump Administration’s aggressive deportation of illegal immigrants and sudden cancellation of almost all foreign aid programs, VP JD Vance referred in a recent interview to the biblical principles known to Catholics as ordo amoris (rightly ordered love) [1].
This raised a firestorm. It seemed to some that the Vice President was using religion to justify the “America First” policy long put forward by Pres. Donald Trump [2][3]. While not necessarily endorsing Trump Administration policies, others explained the concept of ordo amoris as a series of concentric circles of love [4]. Even Pope Francis weighed in, expressing concern in a letter to Catholic bishops [5].
Since we are daily bombarded by conflicting obligations, the Bible does provide us guidance in formulating our priorities – both on an individual and a societal basis. Setting both personal agendas and public policy involves confronting the limitation on available resources. Therein lies the challenge.
Family Dysfunction
One might suppose that few need to be reminded to care for their families (1 Tim. 5: 4, 8). Yet there are numerous dysfunctional families where such care is lacking. Does society have an obligation to care for the children whose parents do not do so? The Bible confirms that it does. We are to care for the widow and orphan (Isa. 1: 17; Matt. 25: 34-40; James 1: 27). What form that care takes and how far it extends is the issue at the heart of public assistance of all kinds.
Poverty
Does society have an obligation to care for the poor? Again, the Bible supports this with countless passages about God’s love for the poor. What we grapple with as a nation is how to distinguishes between those truly unable to care for themselves and those malingering – how to care for the former, and incentivize the latter to care for themselves (1 Tim. 5: 5-6).
Included in this calculation must be a determination of whether the poverty in our own nation should be addressed before the poverty in other nations, and where the correct balance lies. This is just one issue over which the political Right and Left clash [6].
Immigration
Are we to welcome the stranger and treat him fairly? This is unquestionably a biblical mandate (Lev. 19: 34; Deut. 27: 19; Ex. 23: 9). It does not mean we cannot place limits on immigration, or requirements on citizenship. However, what those limits and requirements should be is not spelled out in the Bible. This, too, is an issue over which the Right and Left clash.
There is no algorithm, no formula that will answer these questions for us. Though practicalities will inevitably play a role, we must be guided by conscience. But biblical principles are not to be taken out of context, and appropriated for political ends [7]. It is all too easy to mistake our own priorities for God’s…and label them accordingly.
The Good Samaritan
In large part, the outcome of all this will depend on who we define as our “neighbor”.
The lesson of the Good Samaritan is not to be forgotten: “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4: 20).
We are a nation richly blessed by God. Our great resources come with a correspondingly great obligation to use them generously, not for our benefit alone [8]. That, as Christians, we are first to do good to the faithful (Gal. 6: 10) does not translate into “America First”.
Whether the Trump Administration will choose to apply these biblical principles remains to be seen. But there are troubling signs.
—
[1] Catholic News Agency (CAN), “What is the ‘ordo amoris’? JD Vance’s comments on Christian love spark debate” by Jonah McKeown, 2/4/25, https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/261989/what-is-the-ordo-amoris-jd-vances-comments-on-christian-love-spark-debate#:~:text=Though%20you%20won%27t%20find%20the%20term%20%E2%80%9Cordo,love%E2%80%9D%20in%20his%20work%20%E2%80%9COn%20Christian%20Doctrine.%E2%80%9D.
[2] Time, “What Is ‘Ordo Amoris’? JD Vance Invokes Catholic Concept When Justifying Immigration Crackdown” by Associated Press, 2/6/15, https://time.com/7213348/what-is-ordo-amoris-vice-president-jd-vance-invokes-catholic-concept-immigration/
[3] Patheos, “What Vance Got Wrong on Ordo Amoris” by Julia Smucker, 2/10/25, https://www.patheos.com/blogs/voxnova/2025/02/09/what-vance-got-wrong-on-ordo-amoris/.
[4] Word on Fire, “First, Love Locally: JD Vance and ‘Ordo Amoris’” by Dr. Richard Clements, https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/first-love-locally-jd-vance-and-ordo-amoris/.
[5] Church Leaders, “Pope Appears to Correct JD Vance on the ‘Ordo Amoris’ in Letter to Bishops on Immigration” by Jessica Lea, 2/14/25, https://churchleaders.com/news/505831-pope-francis-jd-vance-ordo-amoris-bishops-immigration.html.
[6] Ironically enough, it is the Left (often characterized as “godless”) which advocates for more foreign aid to impoverished nations.
[7] David Cassidy, “Augustine, Aquinas, the Veep, and Ordo Amoris” by David Cassidy, 2/10/25, https://www.davidpcassidy.com/blog/thomas-aquinas-and-the-ordo-amoris-a-response-to-jd-vances-interpretation#:~:text=The%20Ordo%20Amoris%E2%80%94the%20%E2%80%9Corder,family%20and%20grow%20in%20grace.
[8] America Magazine, “The problem with JD Vance’s theology of ‘ordo amoris’ – and its impact on policy” by Stephen Pope, 2/13/15, https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2025/02/13/ordo-amoris-stephen-pope-vance-249926.
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A Lawyer's Prayers 
I think the Trump administration is going to self implode from making too many unnecessary enemies all over the world and in their own country.
Thank you for this thought provoking post. Illegal immigration is wrong but Trump should not have sent them back to India in chains. And worse than that the prime minister of our country did not even have the courage to protest. That is morally wrong.
Trump is without a doubt a man deeply flawed… as most of our presidents have been. I pray for him as I did for Biden, Obama, Bush and others before them, that Father will somehow work His will through each of them.
❤️&🙏, c.a.
Amen.
I fear America has many misplaced priorities, all stemming from our having thumbed our nose at the Almighty for far too long. As you rightly stated Anna, we have been blessed far above other nations, and with that comes a responsibility to do what we can to in turn bless others, for “to whom much is given, much is required”.
This is a tough issue, especially as both the no-borders folks and the enforced border folks have valid arguments. I wonder if the Biblical command to act as the Good Samaritan in the parable is meant to apply to the state where, arguably, it can be manipulated into advancing the state’s political, often Machiavellian, goals. What is presented in the book of Acts is churches involved in sponsoring or providing for the suffering (foreign or resident), and Christians acting as good Samaritans in the context of their daily lives. Such acts deliver not just material benefits and comforts but spiritual as well, and further the kingdom of God. Somehow, the church has ceded the responsibility to the state which has its own laws to abide by, not necessarily Christian principles, but constitutional ones.
You make an excellent point, Dora. The church has ceded this responsibility to the state.
Would that America had the resources and man power to help every worthy soul suffering in poverty, crime-infested areas, disfunctional homes, and more. We’d be able to help a lot more victims if funds were allocated rightly and spent wisely. Here we are, the richest country in the world, and we still struggle with greed, including people who take government funding that they clearly don’t warrant. Another symptom of our broken world, our broken country.
No nation is without flaws. But I pray that this nation may once again turn its eyes to God. That would make a tremendous difference.
AMEN, Anna. I pray for our nation on a regular basis!