A Refugee's Christmas

Sometimes the stories of Jesus become too familiar. The Christmas Season can be one of those times. We have established traditions - Read the stories of Jesus' birth, sing Christmas songs, go to church, take a few days of from work, exchange gifts, and celebrate with family and friends. We know the routine and recycle the traditions year after year.

Hopefully, the traditions cause us to remember the most important elements, but sometimes they make us feel too comfortable with the holy.

This week's sermon will focus up Matthew's story of baby Jesus being visited by wise men and then escaping to Egypt. Christmas tradition has the wise men with Jesus in the beautiful setting of a stable. I have seen these "Nativity Scenes" made in Rwanda with banana leaves.

However, in Matthew's story the addition of the wise men is full of political intrigue. In fact, this story is one that sounds far too familiar to students of history. A tyrant orders the murder of potential rivals and the new born king escapes to live as a refugee in a neighboring country.

I hope this year's Christmas will not have that type of trauma in your life. However, I know that for many Christmas is a time in which some of us must heal from the trauma of both our past and present. Jesus' story should provide us hope as we see that the Son of God lived through the worst situations that humans can inflict on one another. He is not a God far removed, but one near to us.

I hope to see you this Sunday as we celebrate the nearness of our Lord.

Imana ikurinde,

Dave