Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. (Matthew 2:13-17)
In my last column, I described Mary’s Magnificat as a call to political transformation. Profoundly concerned with issues of power and economics, Mary’s song speaks of God’s quest for a realm in which the poor and vulnerable are uplifted and the wealthy must sacrifice for the greater good. These words were countercultural then and they are countercultural today.
Often forgotten in the joy of Christmas is the tragedies and challenges brought on by Jesus’ birth. First, Jesus and his family must run for their lives to escape the machinations of King Herod. Jesus and his family were political refugees, indeed, asylum seekers, who left to their homeland in quest of survival. No doubt the holy family were viewed with suspicion as they arrived in Egypt. Although there was a Jewish community in Egypt, I suspect Jewish refugees were seen as a drain on society and, reminiscent of Pharoah’s policies in the time of Moses, there were some who felt that eventually foreigners would outnumber native citizens. Jesus and his family survived due to the kindness of strangers. They were taken in by generous people who looked beyond nation of origin, providing them with the basics necessary for survival in a new land. Like today’s Afghan and Central American refugees, they did not want to leave their homeland. They would have preferred Nazareth. They didn’t want to leave friends, family, and employment. They were not thieves and thugs, but vulnerable people looking for survival, hoping to make a new life. Then and now, hospitality is the only faithful response to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
When he hears that he has been deceived by the magi, Herod blows his stack. He wants to get the promised king even if it means killing every infant and toddler in and around Bethlehem. Many must die to ensure that he maintains power and control. Imagine the tears of parents who saw their children slaughtered according to royal political policy.
Again, the parallel is obvious. While we in the USA do not massacre infants and toddlers, our government has separated children from their parents on our borderlands. We have looked idly by as children across the globe die from the impact of famine and starvation. We argue about providing basic food, shelter, and medical benefits to children. We are content that a child’s possibilities are often determined by their zip code – their parent’s economic status and education, and the quality of educational facilities. While our hands are clean, our inaction – and in some cases, political choices – lead to the diminishment and death of children. Poverty, according to Howard Thurman, is evil because it robs children of their imaginations. A just society ensures that children can dream, imagine, and then achieve. A just society ensures that parents do not mourn the premature deaths of children. A just society has clear borders and finds compassionate ways of responding to law abiding immigrants and asylum seekers.
Yes, there is a politics of incarnation, and the politics of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and in the life of every child challenges us to be advocates for childhood joy and laughter, proponents of possibility, and supporters of children and families regardless of nation of citizenship and origin. Then we will be among those whom the angels praise, “people of good will,” who keep Christmas all year long.
+++
Bruce Epperly is a pastor, professor, and author of over sixty books, including “Mystics in Action: Twelve Saints for Today,” “Walking with Francis of Assisi: From Privilege to Activism,” “Process Theology and Politics,” and “Prophetic Healing: Howard Thurman’s Vision of Contemplative Activism.” He may be reached at drbruceepperly@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment