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Listen while you read: "The Day Of Resurrection"1 (Lyrics) |
Matthew 2:13-15 – Now when they had gone, behold, 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 going to search for the Child to destroy Him." So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He 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 called My Son." (NASB 1995)
- Refugees — the same today,
all yearning for new life,
leaving countries so war-torn,
escaping from the strife.
Refugees — we welcome them
as they begin anew.
We show hospitality
and love in what we do.
– John Wesley Oldham
World Refugee Day, declared by the United Nations to be marked on June 20, is a call for communities around the world to work toward peace and security for all, remembering especially the millions of people who are displaced or forcibly uprooted from their homes. This year, in particular, we remember those in Gaza and throughout Palestine, the very land from which Jesus had to flee. Jesus Himself began life as a refugee Who escaped with His family from the violence of King Herod to the unfamiliar landscape of Egypt. We sometimes forget that no one is a refugee by choice, and as the church of Jesus Christ, it is part of our mandate to reach out to refugees, to pray for their welfare, and to seek solutions to the conditions that create the refugee crisis in the first place. So many of our churches have made the support of refugees a prime ministry and mission. I still celebrate those efforts by my former church in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and the work that my wife was able to do with churches in nearby Dartmouth. We give thanks for their commitment and dedication! We are grateful for the open doors that our country makes possible for people who are experiencing war, the effects of climate change, and the turmoil that is found throughout the world.
- "Migrants and refugees, despite the pains and losses that come with our displacement, can rejoice. We, the displaced, are not alone. God is with us everywhere — in both the old country and the new, in both lamentation and praise, in both rootedness and displacement." – Hannah Keziah Agustin, What does it mean to follow God in our displacement?
Prayer: God, be with the refugee, the displaced, the migrant, seeking a place in a world that makes little room for them. May we be agents of Your love to all such people as given opportunity. Amen.
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“Do me a favour, open the door and let them in” – Paul McCartney
It’s so sad that all of the problems in Gaza would be solved if the Palestinian people there would just renounce Hamas and take control of their country and seek peace with Israel and not celebrate terrorism.
Good morning, Kenn! I appreciated your message about the “refugee” in our midst today. Recently, we have been experiencing several refugees passing through our church on a Sunday morning. Some stay for a few Sundays and some don’t. We are a welcoming group of people who have made the effort to make sure that they feel welcome. And I have thought deeply about how it must feel to be completely cut off from the love and support from the family that they have left behind. I often feel that we are not doing enough for them. I thank you for your touching prayer today. Blessings!
Thanks for the good word, Kenn.
I forget that Jesus went to Egypt till He was about seven. This is a very good message. I am not good at understanding how hard life can be for others around the world and even people who don’t have a home to go to. I will pray your prayer and hope I respond to opportunities with the help of God. Thanks for sharing. Blessings.
Thanks once again for writing, Kenn. As we live in Texas we are very close to the problems with our border with Mexico and I personally am torn between the “legal” method of entering our country and the illegal way. It doesn’t seem fair to me that the people who have gone through the long process of citizenship sit and watch while thousands and thousands enter our country illegally. I wonder what happens to the latter. It is indeed a difficult situation.
Thank you, Kenn, for your very mindful words today. Yes it is very important that we open our hearts and be ready to receive migrants into our country. I feel very sorry when I hear of these people having to leave their homes and I pray for a safe relocation for them. So sad that so much upheaval is happening in our world these days. Blessings for these special writings you prepare.
Thanks for this timely reminder! I’m in a comfortable pew… Canada, safe and welcoming! Thanks, Kenn, for the provocative DD!
Thank you, Kenn, for sharing this encouraging devotional with us. Blessings.
Let it be as you have said, Kenn! Blessings.
Lots of room for thought here. Is your quote from John Oldham from a book he has written? There was a minister by that name at Trinity United in Portage la Prairie in the mid 70s. I’ve lost track of him altogether. Thanks for your message.
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Thanks for sharing Kenn, as usual, a very good devotional. Take care and enjoy this beautiful day. Blessings.