Steve Frey
They were fleeing from their country. They had a young son, and they knew his life would have been in danger if they didn’t find a way to escape. It is hard to leave your homeland, friends and relatives, but they felt they had no choice.
The trip was hard on all of them. Long days under the hot sun were followed by cold nights when they were chilled to the bone. They did everything they could to help the child thrive under those difficult conditions.
They planned to seek asylum and safety in a new land. Would they be welcomed? How would they be treated by the people of the new country? Would they be rejected because they were from a different nation, were poor or spoke a different language?
These were the issues Jesus, Mary and Joseph faced when they were asylum seekers. These are the thoughts that must have been going through their minds.
They are just like people from Central America who are fleeing repressive regimes, crime and fear today and are hoping for asylum in the United States. Their names could be Jesus, Maria and Jose.
According to Matthew’s gospel, Mary and Joseph were fleeing from Herod, who was killing all of the boys younger than two near Bethlehem to try to get to Jesus, whom Herod was told was a threat to his throne. The little family was, of course, seeking asylum in Egypt.
We know from the gospel that the Holy Family did find refuge in Egypt and were safe there until they were given the “all clear” to return to their home. Perhaps they still had some gold, frankincense, and myrrh from the wise men to tide them over, and they certainly were good people, so they probably got along well with the Egyptians they met. Still, they were strangers in a strange land.
How would today’s Americans greet asylum seekers like Jesus, Mary and Joseph? Would they be welcomed, helped and made to feel safe? Would Jesus be taken away from Mary and Joseph and placed in an internment camp? Would they be sent away, which would endanger them all, but especially Jesus?
The servant of the poor, Mother Teresa, once said, “I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper’s wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself.”
Christians are taught that the person lacking clothing, the sick or the hungry person could be Jesus and that when they help that person, they are helping him. Call to mind the gospel passage: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
How do we treat people who seek asylum or lack health insurance or need assistance because the minimum wage doesn’t pay enough for food AND electricity? During this Christmas season, perhaps it would be beneficial to reflect on our beliefs concerning the poor.
Mary and Joseph were not wealthy people. With Joseph working as a carpenter in a small town like Nazareth, they probably had just enough to get by. At Christmas, we see Jesus placed in a manger, a stand for feeding the barn animals. There was no room for him at the inn. He had humble beginnings and led a modest life. That nativity scene helps us understand how he humbled himself and came to live among ordinary people.
Have Americans forgotten the command to love and care for one another? Every religion has a version of the Golden Rule as a centerpiece of their beliefs. Have Americans placed material wealth, discrimination or politics above the needs of their fellow men and women?
Perhaps this Christmas season when we see the nativity scene, we should remember the directive to feed the poor, visit the prisoner, clothe the naked and help the sick. Maybe when we see asylum seekers, we should think of the Holy Family seeking refuge from Herod in Egypt.
Wouldn’t it be great if the season of goodwill toward others could be extended beyond December and platitudes be transformed into real and meaningful actions instead of words that are shared on Christmas cards and greetings—but end there?
Wishing someone a Merry Christmas is a nice gesture; helping someone in need is the real Christmas spirit. Maybe Christ is already in Christmas. Perhaps there’s still a need, though, for a greater presence of Christ in Christians of faith and a recognition of him in all others.
After all, that’s a significant part of “the reason for the season,” isn’t it?
Steve Frey is a writer and CEO of Ascendant Educational Services based in Radford.
