Refuge(e)

Mary and Joseph travel a lot during the Christmas story

They have to get all the way to Bethlehem, and then (after an angel warned Joseph in a dream), they fled to Egypt before King Herod could stop them. Mary may have given birth to our Refuge, but in doing so became a Refugee.

Refugees need to keep family and friends at a distance, be on their own and leave familiar rituals and customs. Sound familiar?

God, through Jesus, knows what it is like to live through uncertainty, what it is to be disconnected from family and feeling lonely; the anxiety and loss. Mary didn’t know how she was going to be used by God. Neither do we know how 2020 will be used in us. We can have HOPE and TRUST that this will become clear to us.

Younger children may enjoy this song about the donkey

This song is about Jesus being a refugee

And a song for Mary

Mary did you know