By Rhoda Klein
One oft-overlooked detail about Jesus is that his family were refugees.
Herod, a tyrant obsessed with preserving his power, responded to the news of Jesus’ birth with a horrifying command: the massacre of all boys under two in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16). To protect their child, Mary and Joseph fled their homeland and escaped to Egypt, seeking asylum from Herod’s cruelty. Their plight mirrors the experience of countless others throughout history who risked it all to venture to an unknown land and live at the mercy of total strangers for a chance at safety and survival.
In the Bible we find several charges to care for the sojourner, those fleeing oppression, and the displaced. The Old Testament instructs God’s people to regard the resident foreigner as a citizen, extending to them the same rights, justice and leaving portions of crops unharvested for them to collect and eat. Ezekiel even insists they are to be granted a land inheritance from the tribe who they reside with (Ez 47:22).
Today, the refugee crisis remains one of the world’s most pressing challenges. According to the UN Refugee Agency more than 32 million are seeking refuge in other countries. Canada has taken in tens of thousands of asylum seekers this year. In Metro Vancouver, organizations like Kinbrace work tirelessly to support asylum seekers as they are overwhelmed with needs exceeding the resources. We have an opportunity to lighten the burden this holiday season by providing Christmas hampers to refugee families as a gesture of welcome and support.
Jesus associates with the refugee from first hand experience and identifies those who show compassion and care for the strangers as doing the same for Him (Matthew 25:31-46). To follow Jesus Way is to take Him seriously when He states “whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none (Luke 3:11) The mark of the true Christian will be generosity and hospitality as they represent the heart of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:13).
This season, let us honor Jesus by standing in solidarity with those who share His refugee story. If you would like to supply items for holiday hampers for a refugee who is resettling in MetroVan please get in touch.