Refugees at the Gate

(Originally published December 26, 2014) Now after [the Magi] 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.” Matthew 2:13

A few months ago our nation went all ape-y over the sudden influx of unaccompanied minors from Central American countries attempting to cross the border with Mexico. I had wanted to say this then, However “life” got in the way, nevertheless I decided to take some time before the end of the year, and express my thoughts on the subject. For many this is a time filled with gifts and expressions of love. Millions of people around the world just finished celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, or Hanukkah or Winter Solstice.

Within the Christian tradition, we accent our “birthday celebrations” with gifts and presents, loosely based upon the gold, frankincense, and myrrh given by the Visiting Magi, or Kings to Joseph and Mary (Mt. 2:11). For a long time I have understood these gifts explained as the gold representing Jesus’ kingship, the frankincense representing His priesthood, and the myrrh prefiguring His death (www.biblicalarchaeology.org). And it may represent those things, however right after they left Joseph packed his family up and fled as refugees into Egypt. I don’t think Joseph took the time to regift the myrrh, and invest the frankincense into Jesus’ college fund. They were about to flee the very real death threat from King Herod the Great. 

The Jewish Encyclopedia described Herod the Great as “prepared to commit any crime in order to gratify his unbounded ambition”. E. P. Sanders states that Herod had his wife, Mariamne I, convicted of adultery and executed.  He ordered her brother, Aristobulus III drowned at a party, and executed his mother-in-law, Alexandra, without a trial. He executed another brother-in-law, Kostobar, for conspiracy. Herod also banished his wife Doris, and two of his sons. So he was not the kind of man who's threats you take lightly. 

Well, another thing you don’t take lightly is the reality that Honduras is the Murder Capitol of the World (www.time.com). In 2012, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime stated Honduras had 90 murders per 100,000 residents, compared to the US at 4.7 murders per 100,000. Men in their 20’s in Honduras are 300 times more likely to be murdered than their counterpart in the US. 

So when you hear that Herod, or some drug gang in Honduras, is searching for you to kill your family, even if it doesn’t come from an angel in a dream, you better respond. And respond Joseph did. He moved his family some 500 kilometers to keep them safe. I don’t think most Christmas carols illustrate the urgency of these few verses from Matthew. I know I didn’t catch it in Bing Crosby’s rendition of “White Christmas.” Nor was it covered in “Charlie Brown’s Christmas Special”. 

If your a family in Honduras, I guess you send your child north to the US. And send them they did. Most of the unaccompanied minors from the recent buzz worthiness news came from El Salvador, Guatemala and you guessed it, Honduras. Most of them were boys between 15 and 17. 

These modern day refugees much like the first family face certain death back home, and potentially death along the road they travel. Unlike Joseph, Mary and Jesus, the modern refugees didn’t just have a bunch of dudes show up bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  

Nevertheless,I’m sure they are hoping they can find some people in their new land who love the Lord. People who will help them. Refugees are all over the world right now, just looking for someone to help. While Facebook politicos blog against the refugees and blame President Obama for creating an environment of “welcome to the illegal immigrant”. 10.7 million people worldwide find themselves just like Joseph, Mary and Jesus. Herod hasn’t stopped murdering people back in Honduras, or Pakistan. 

Matthew said that Herod ordered the boys under aged 2 around Bethlehem be killed. Jeremiah prophecied of the event, that “Rachel wept for the dead children, and refused to be comforted.” Most Americans don’t weep for the slaughtered in our own country, let alone the murdered children in foreign lands. During the influx, some people even wanted troops to be stationed along the Southern border to prevent any more refugees from entering the land that once asked for huddled masses. 

I just find it strange that in a nation where 73% claim to be followers of a man who at one time was himself a refugee, people wanted to send troops against refugees. So many people missed the opportunity to do that Matthew 25 sheep and goats thing- to care for people who could be called Jesus’ brothers and sisters (v. 37ff). Granted, I understand that many of us don’t have the luxury to have uprooted and relocated to the border to provide support and comfort to these refugees. Nevertheless could you at least send one of those “Text-to-Donate” messages to an organization that can?

During this holiday season, before you put the lights away, are you willing to send a warm blanket to someone who may have to travel 1000 miles to escape their Herod the Great? Evil is real, and every generation has a Herod or two. No country is immune from Herod, nor people attempting to get away from him. You don’t have to wrack you brain trying to follow a star to give some kid myrrh, but will you quit trying to send the National Guard out to detain and prevent them from making it into Egypt.