A Prayer for Innocent Children

                                        Massacre of the Innocents  (after Rubens) --Stephan Hepner

 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi,he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. Then what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
    wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
    she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”

                                      Matthew 2:16-18 NRSVue

In Matthew's gospel there is this curious, disturbing three verse note about paranoid, psychopathic King Herod killing Jewish children because the Magi let him know that their astrological/astronomical explorations led them to a child born in Bethlehem. Why don't the other gospels mention this? Why isn't there some historical record of this genocide? It's there though. as an unsettling reminder that not even innocent children are safe from violence. Just before this Joseph had been warned to flee for Egypt, turning the family with a young child into refugees. 

Yesterday was The Feast of the Holy Innocents which isn't exactly a jolly Christmas season occasion. It's a challenge to find a contemporary art piece about this massacre. Who wants to take on this subject. Christian activist Shane Claiborne posted about the "holy innocents" yesterday with a reference to the death of thousands of children in Gaza during the past two months.  

We can remember all children who become pawns of those in power and pray for mercy.

Shane Claiborne

@ShaneClaiborne

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16m

Today Christians around the world remember the “Holy Innocents” - the children massacred by King Herod as Jesus was born. I just keep thinking of Gaza. May we never become numb to the killing of children. Ceasefire now.