When we talk about the Christmas story, we often think of Jesus in the manger, the angels proclaiming good news to the shepherds and maybe the wise men bringing gifts. It is often easy to miss the next story in the narrative which is much crueler and more vicious. However, in the current moment I believe this part of the story is the most important for us to examine.
The Gospel of Mathew describes how King Herod is informed by the wise men that a new King of the Jews has been born. He is filled with rage and fear, so he decides to kill all the boys two years and younger around the area of Bethlehem. Because of this danger, an angel is sent to Joseph. He is told that Jesus, Mary and he should flee as refugees to Egypt where they stayed until King Herod died.
Will McCorkle
More than even the Christmas narrative itself, this story has great relevance to our current political situation and what our values are. First and foremost, the story of Herod should remind us of the danger of killing the innocent in the name of maintaining power and security.
This is something that still happens throughout our world with fearful and egotistical autocrats. Although it is not completely analogous, it should give us great caution in our stance toward what is currently happening in Gaza where in the name of security and revenge many innocent people, including many children, are dying. As Matthew states it: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
“The modern Rachels are currently weeping for their children in Gaza.”
The modern Rachels are currently weeping for their children in Gaza. As the rest of the world justly condemns the overreach and arguably even war crimes of the Netanyahu government, why is the U.S. still planning to provide them $14 billion in additional military spending? Is our blind loyalty to the current Israeli administration causing us to become complicit in these human rights abuses?
Perhaps even more ironically, this spending is likely going to be tied to restricted policies for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. The very people Mary, Joseph and Jesus represent.
For those who belong to the Christian faith, we cannot ignore the fact that our Lord and Savior himself was a refugee. We have to humble ourselves and realize that ultimately the earth belongs to God and people have the right to move in order to seek safety for their families. When we restrict asylum and treat migrants as less than human, we are directly denying refugees like the Holy Family a chance to escape from violence.
In this post-Christmas season, the last thing we should be doing is supporting Netanyahu’s government, which has been rightly condemned by the rest of the world community. Nor should we be restricting asylum and making life more difficult for migrants. Both cut at the very heart of the message of peacemaking and love for one’s neighbor that is the center of Christianity. Both policies also put us on the wrong side of the post-Nativity story of the Holy Family.
In this season after Christmas, let’s remember the next story in the life of Jesus and consider if we are standing for the vulnerable or using the notion of security to deny human rights and basic humanity.
Will McCorkle serves as an education professor in Charleston, S.C., and is a board member with Practice Mercy Border Ministries. He writes on the topics of immigration, peace and faith.