The week, we celebrate Christmas, the holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the founder and central figure of the Christian religion. Whether you are a Christian or not, you’ll probably recall the story.
Jesus was not born in Nazareth. The Romans were holding a census, and all citizens and families were required to return to their ancestral homes. Joseph was a descendant of the family of King David, so he and his bride-to-be Mary journeyed to Bethlehem (The City Of David). They found no accommodations when they arrive, so they stayed in a hut with animals. It was here that Jesus was born.
You may also recall that three wise men visited this newborn child and brought him gifts. The wise men were spurred to make the journey when they noticed an unusually a bright star in the sky. They interpreted this as a sign that a new king had been born.
But the wise men made a foolish miscalculation. Along they way, they stopped and announced their intentions to King Herod. Herod was a villainous king, known for his debauchery, cruelty, and vanity. When the wise men mentioned the birth of a new king, Herod felt threatened and plotted to have the infant Jesus killed.
Joseph was warned of the plot by an angel who came to him in a dream. He and Mary left Bethlehem with their newborn child and journeyed to Egypt, where they stayed until they received news that Herod had died.
So, think about this for a moment. When Jesus was a child, he was a refugee. His family sought asylum in another country, because they feared that if they stayed, he would be killed.
Imagine if the Egyptian authorities had refused entry to Joseph and his family.
“Hey, look, Joseph, we’re sorry, but there’s nothing that we can do right now. Our government has put restrictions on the number of refugees that we can let in, and we are no longer accepting applications for asylum for any reason. If you noticed along the border, we’re building a big new wall to keep people like you out. You’re just going to have to go back where you came from. And if you try to sneak back in, we’re going to take your child away from you and lock him up in a makeshift detention center.”
Immigration has become a political football in recent years with tragic consequences. The administration that has taken repeated draconian and downright cruel actions against immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers rose to power with strong support from people who claim to be Christians.
That’s right. People who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who himself was once a Middle Eastern child refugee fleeing violence in his homeland, have enabled public policy that has lowered the number of refugees that the USA will accept, stripped children away from families and imprisoned them, and blocked all immigration from a number of Middle Eastern nations. How’s that for a thick slice of bitter irony wrapped up in a hypocrisy sandwich soaked in a toxic helping of fuck you sauce?
We need to go better as a nation. Much better. If you claim to be a Christian, start acting like one.
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