Jesus, the Refugee

"...an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." Matthew 2:13.

I bought this Christmas ornament from a popular card store. We looked closely and realized that there is no baby in the manger! What use is a manger scene without Jesus? Reminds me of the current culture where the focus has shifted from celebrating Christmas to Holiday Season. The message of the manger is endangered.

''There’s much we don’t know about Joseph and Mary. We assume Mary was quite young. Somehow we think Joseph was a bit older, for he was a carpenter. In a land of few trees and unlimited rocks, where houses were built of stone, that may indicate he was more of a stonemason than a woodcrafter. But still, there’s so much we don’t know. For example, how did the couple feel when they left Nazareth for Bethlehem? Did they cast a parting glance at their little hometown on the hillside?

Here’s what we do know. Joseph and Mary were devoted to caring for their baby. Jesus came first. They searched for the best spot for His birth, dedicated Him to God in infancy, and undertook a rigorous trip to Egypt when He was endangered. The most important thing about Joseph and Mary was their devotion to Christ." (Turning Point)

Traditional Muslims who come here also try to keep Christ out of the season. We were at a party recently where there was no reference to Christmas or the holiday. In fact, even the Christmas trees in the four corners of the banquet room were unplugged.

This year we noticed fewer Christmas carols sung in the malls and less decorations. Was this intentional or a budget issue? Without a spirit of giving...without the core message of 'Jesus', this 'holiday season' may not survive as we know it. God's gift to earth has provided inspiration to give at this time of year--with a year end tax receipt taboot for those who need it. Let's not forget, the original Saint Nicholas's generosity in the 4th century was preceded by God's generosity.

We were with a Muslim family this past week who arrived in our city as refugees a year ago. We shared the story of Christmas--first by asking what they knew of the story. We filled in the details and the message of Christmas and that Jesus was a refugee in Egypt. Kamal said "Why don't Christians talk about God in this country?" Amazing. He was waiting for Christians to tell him the message and meaning of Christmas!! All we could say, for many people life is going great and they probably don't need God very much. Kamal observed that this phenomena was happening everywhere among Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

We won't let this happen 'on our watch' and want to continue proclaiming the wonder of Jesus. We're not alone--a large teaching hospital in our city founded by the Catholics put up a full size manger scene front center of their entrance. Praise God for reminders!

Lord Jesus, I want to share you with the waiting world. Help my brothers and sisters to do likewise in their circles of influence. Amen.

Unwrapping Christmas

"A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel, which means "God is with us." Matthew 1:23.

When our grandkids receive Christmas presents, they get right on with things. While the wrapping sets the mood, it's what's on the inside that matters to them. They're delighted with new toys, clothes, and even trinkets. 

During a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service our speaker focused on Immanual, God is with us. He tied the prophecies of 700 years before the birth of Christ to their fulfillment we were celebrating. After the service our Muslim guest, a university student asked "So, if you say that Immanuel means 'God with us' that means Jesus is God?" Wow. She got it. Looking through the lens of this perceptive student, I was reminded of natural opportunities at Christmastime of sharing the Good News more than any other time of the year. While the ambience is important, the heart of the Christmas message is Jesus.

We took our new friends to 'Festival of Lights', a drive around loop that's become popular in some cities. When we got back to our house, we talked about Christmas lights decorating many houses and trees. Why do you think lights are so important? We pointed out that Jesus said, "I am the Light of the World." John 8:12. You see, here was a natural opportunity to share about spiritual darkness and Jesus bringing light and life to situations.

Any other ways we can unwrap Christmas for our Muslim friends? It's probably best to do so in our home or at least in a quiet place. They will have ideas from observations about the meaning of Christmas. It can be delightful to talk about it. Invariably we have to put Santa in perspective. We've had to show some of our friends that Santa is not in the biblical account of the birth of Christ. And no, Jesus didn't wear a Santa outfit! For more ideas, click on the links highlighted in the rest of this post.

Joy posted "Redeeming the Christmas Stocking" on her blog in which she illustrates how to use a tradition to unwrap the meaning of Christmas. We know there are other legends like the Candy Cane or traditions that can be used this way. Perhaps there will be an opportunity to explain the rich message of a Christmas carol heard in the mall or media.

We've asked a lead question like "Would you like to hear the Christmas story from the Bible?" as a segue to a spiritual conversation. Most of our friends have actually never read or heard the authentic message from the Injil(NT) related to Christmas. We've found it especially effective to have them read it in their heart language. Giving the Jesus dvd or a link for people's smartphones or tablets can be a tool to clarify the reason for the season. I've often watched the section about the birth of Christ from the Jesus dvd with the boys from All Nations Sports Club and then discussed it. Enjoy unwrapping the message of Christmas with your friends!

Dear God, help me to unwrap the Christmas message so that my Muslim friends will understand the truth about Jesus. Amen.

This 'Bethlehem' clip gives the story a modern spin. Enjoy!