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| Image by Cary Bass-Deschenes |
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A GREETING
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
(Psalm 57:1a)
A READING
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.
(Matthew 2:7-15a)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
For they have fled from the swords,
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow, and from the stress of battle.
(Isaiah 21:15)
A PRAYER
May the Three Who are over you,
the Three Who are below you,
the Three Who are above you here,
the Three Who are above you yonder,
the Three Who are in the earth,
the Three Who are in the air,
the Three Who are in the heaven,
the Three Who are in the great pouring sea – bless you.
- Gaelic prayer found in A Celtic Primer:
che complete Celtic worship resource and collection,
compiled by Brendan O'Malley
VERSE FOR THE DAY
In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
until the destroying storms pass by.
(Psalm 57:1b)
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| "The Adoration," by Oscar Cahén |
Although Epiphany is not for another week, the flight of the holy family to Egypt is intricately tied to the events of the visit of the Magi. Yesterday, we considered the power of Mary’s ‘yes,’ the ‘peregrinatio’ of moving into a journey without knowing its destination, submitting to God’s will. The Celtic Christian monks and voyagers, we noted, were sometimes sent and sometimes chose to make similar journeys in oarless boats, drifting to wherever it was God’s will they should land.
The flight of migrants and refugees, however, is not such a journey. Refugees are forced by wars, economic destitution, and dangerous political realities to seek refuge anywhere safe. It is sometimes harder to hear God’s will on such a journey. In the treacherous times of Herod into which Jesus was born, Joseph knew they had to leave. God sent angels to guide his every move through instructional dreams. In his care was the most sought after child, whose death was possible at every turn.
The tension of these challenges is vivid in Oscar Cahén’s painting “The Adoration” which depicts the visitation of the Magi (here represented as kings). The colours are sombre, and Mary offers up the child while simultaneously withdrawing from the powerful light falling from the star. The visitors are shadowed and the scene is crowded: danger and violence are not far from the scene, just outside the frame.
Cahén was a Jewish refugee who fled to Canada in 1940 and was held for two years at Camp N, a detention camp in Sherbrooke, Quebec where unwelcomed Jewish people and other refugees to Canada were sent during the second world war. This is Cahén’s only Christian-themed work, but it powerfully evokes what it means to be both oppressed and hopeful. To arrive in a new land, saving one’s life from terrifying violence, only to be detained and treated as second-class citizens, is hardly freedom.
If our story were taking place today, the holy family might easily be found at the razorwire borders of Europe and Northern Africa, of the United States and Mexico. The hope represented by Jesus is the hope that we can be transformed into a people who don’t want harmful border walls. Good walls help to protect and enclose grazing animals from predators, they can helpfully establish boundaries. But there is no razorwire in the realm of God.
The Magi had been instructed by Herod to bring report -- but they don't, they leave another way. What sparked their bravery? We are told that they were "overwhelemed with joy" when they saw the child. How can we be inspired, in the first flush of our Christmas joy, to work harder for peace in the world? What is the role we are willing to play to help make the life of refugees easier?
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| Image by Julie from Wexford |
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LC† Come Holy Darkness is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help to support extended offerings throughout the year.
Thank you and peace be with you!