December 5, 2024

“Now after [the magi] 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.”

Matthew 2:13 (NRSVUE)

Each of us has our favorite aspect of the Christmas story. For some, it might be the angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary and her subsequent song of praise in the first chapter of Luke. For others, it might be the adventurous visit of the magi contained in the second chapter of Matthew.

I doubt that many of us would include Mary and Joseph’s later flight to Egypt to avoid the threat King Herod posed, as spelled out in Matthew 2:13-15. 

While I can’t say that the passage is my favorite part of Jesus’ story, I have grown to deeply respect that piece over the years. For it reminds me the story of Jesus’ early days did not resemble the idealized versions we portray on our greeting cards. The passage reminds me that Jesus came into the world at a difficult time and was seen by the powers that be as one who would turn the world upside down. Because of this, the leaders of Jesus’ day did what many leaders still do today: they pressured the family to flee from their home and seek refuge in a distant land.

This piece of Jesus’ story seems especially timely this year as we are living in a world where many have been pressured to flee from their homeland and seek refuge in a new land. Sadly, these vulnerable individuals – much like Mary, Joseph, and Jesus - are being singled out and targeted by some.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us how Joseph responded to the threat. The question remains: “How will we respond?”

This holiday season I have spoken with clergy and lay leaders who are worried about what will happen to members of their congregations who are immigrants in upcoming weeks. I think of the pastor in Central New Jersey, for instance, who spoke with fear about what will happen to a young mother and her seven-year-old child in the congregation who are here from Haiti with Temporary Protective Status. I think too of the congregation in Northern New Jersey whose new member class included a man from Iran who fled from a difficult political climate.

These situations have caused some to consider what it might mean to join a sanctuary movement, either by declaring themselves to be a sanctuary community or supporting a nearby congregation that has made the declaration.

Such a decision is one that needs to be taken with great care and consideration as there is much that goes along with such a designation. To help those considering such a decision, I will host a conversation with two clergy from the Southwest Conference of the UCC – Rev. Sue Joiner from First Congregational Church in Albuquerque, NM and Rev. Ken Heintzelman from Shadow Rock UCC in Phoenix. We will talk about their experiences of leading communities that became sanctuaries.

The conversation will take place Thursday, December 12 from 7:00-8:30 PM (EST). The purpose of the evening is two-fold: (1) get folks to begin thinking about what it would mean to join the sanctuary movement; and (2) get connected with others in our conference who might be interested in such an effort as well so they might support one another. Here is the link to the Zoom event: SANCTUARY CONGREGATIONS. The conversation will be recorded as well for those who can’t make it in person. If you have questions, please contact me at cpeterson@cacucc.org or 609-929-7585.

During this Advent season, may we open ourselves to the fullness of Jesus’ story in ways that inspire us to carry the hope, peace, love, and joy of this Advent season into the lives of those who are most vulnerable.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Craig Peterson