Matthew 2:13-16 13 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." 14
Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to
Egypt, 15 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." 16 When Herod saw that he
had been tricked by the wise men, 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 wise men.
What can we say in another
day marked with senseless violence.
God always comes to us in the
very midst of the worst of our human sinfulness. Throughout the Scriptures we
see the violence and God’s call for resisting evil, injustice, and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves. Whether evil’s name is Pharoah or
Herod or a school shooter in Connecticut God brings Light.
John 1:4-5 4 in him was life, and the life
was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
Our response to evil must not
to return evil with evil but to testify to the light and teach the ways of
unconditional love that might save those so lost in hate and fear that they act
in violence.
Come Sunday we will listen to
the chancel choir tell the story of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us
and we will also confess our brokenness and recommit ourselves to a different
way of living; the Way of Jesus in our community.
