The Creche and Cages

 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[h] got up, took the child and his mother by night, 
and went to Egypt,
 and remained there until the death of Herod. 
This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, 
“Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

Matthew 2:13-15

Back in my Sudbury days I had a colleague in a neighbouring congregation who seemed to be in hot water on a regular basis. Eventually a mediator was brought in and he left...or was it the other way around? He was and presumably still is a moral and ethical person who had a strong commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He just seemed adept at getting under the skin of some people with statements and actions to which he seemed to be tone-deaf.

One year he wrote a little play for the family Christmas Eve service featuring a pregnant teen who was searching for shelter on a cold winter night. He was attempting to bring the story of the first Christmas closer to home but the grittiness of the story infuriated some congregants who refused to attend. He seemed bewildered by the reaction of those who wanted the warm, cozy version of Christmas Eve.

I thought about this when I saw a photo of the Nativity Scene in front of a  United Methodist church in Claremont, California. Rather than artfully placed around the manger the Holy Family is separated, with each member in a cage. This is a stark reminder that migrant families which show up at the border between Mexico and the United States are often separated and young children are kept in harsh conditions away from their parents. 

This is terrible enough, but the United States of America is killing children in detention through neglect. At least half a dozen kids have died because of a lack of medical attention. Just last week we found out that a teenage boy from Guatemala died earlier this year because of complications from the flu. A  nurse raised the alarm about his high fever but nothing was done and he died alone on a concrete floor. 



Migrant Children Who Have Died in US Custody

I can barely write about this because of my anger that this could happen in a country that considers itself a compassionate democracy. I am furious that people who consider themselves Christians give cult-like devotion to the president whose administration has established these policies. Do they comprehend that the infant Jesus fled danger in Israel and his family were migrants who ended up in Egypt? Does the adult Jesus' stern caution against ignoring the plight of the  poor and imprisoned mean nothing to them?

I imagine the church in California will take heat for what is considered a political statement. So be it. Perhaps my colleague from days of yore had it right, after all. The Good News better be good news for those Jesus entered into the human experience for, including the vulnerable,  or we should just close shop, even at cozy Christmas.