Jesus, the person many pledge our allegiance to, as an infant found himself and his family slipping out the back door of their homeland due to a tyrant king's violent threats. They made their way down to Egypt where they dwelt until it was safe to return to the vicinity of home. They settled on Nazareth instead of Bethlehem to be on the safe side. I wonder what would've happened to their family in our current climate if they sought refuge here.
Moses, a son of Abraham who found himself taken in by the oppressive powers that be, was separated from his mom to keep him safe from those powers. I wonder how that might have played out in our current climate.
Father Abraham and his wife— before the many sons part of the story—felt the danger of wandering as strangers seeking a land, stability, and a promise fulfilled by their God. They were so scared they lied about their relationship status. He claimed Sarai was his sister—and was thus separated from her for a season—due to the danger of openly expressing to the powers that be during their wanderings they were indeed married. I wonder what would have happened to them in our current climate.
At a certain point an Israelite, maybe even Moses, penned a certain ancient holy text with the exodus story in particular in mind. It reads:
“33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 34:9
I wonder what the ancient Israelite who penned those words might think of our current climate.
But perhaps more at the core of our faith, in our very 10 Commandments, an ancient Israelite, maybe even Moses, wrote:
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.”
I wonder what the Israelites, along with the foreigners residing in their towns, would think of our current climate.
I wonder what Mary would think as she hears of children living in facilities separated from the mom’s and dad’s who love them.
I wonder what Jesus would think of the politicians who say the Bible says to keep the law when so much of what Jesus did defied the norms and at times the laws to display the spirit of the law. Or would he just point out this current practice is neither law nor order.
I don’t know all the answers to what their thoughts would be but I do wonder—enough to write it down and ask others to wonder as well. Not really to answer on my post—just ponder it in your heart. I don’t expect someone who does not claim any loyalty to the Torah or Jesus to have to ponder these questions. But I see them sensibly asking why don’t folks who do claim loyalty to the Torah and Jesus appear to be considering these things.
So I hold the questions out for us to ponder. This is not one on which I really solicit thoughts or comments (of which those of a disrespectful tone will be deleted)--just imagination work for those who claim Abraham as a father and Jesus as Lord. Imagine sitting across the table Joseph or Jesus himself built—perhaps with carpentry tools Joseph brought back from Egypt while in hiding—as Mary the Israelite requests of you, “Tell me about those foreign families in your land.”
Moses, a son of Abraham who found himself taken in by the oppressive powers that be, was separated from his mom to keep him safe from those powers. I wonder how that might have played out in our current climate.
Father Abraham and his wife— before the many sons part of the story—felt the danger of wandering as strangers seeking a land, stability, and a promise fulfilled by their God. They were so scared they lied about their relationship status. He claimed Sarai was his sister—and was thus separated from her for a season—due to the danger of openly expressing to the powers that be during their wanderings they were indeed married. I wonder what would have happened to them in our current climate.
At a certain point an Israelite, maybe even Moses, penned a certain ancient holy text with the exodus story in particular in mind. It reads:
“33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 34:9
I wonder what the ancient Israelite who penned those words might think of our current climate.
But perhaps more at the core of our faith, in our very 10 Commandments, an ancient Israelite, maybe even Moses, wrote:
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.”
I wonder what the Israelites, along with the foreigners residing in their towns, would think of our current climate.
I wonder what Mary would think as she hears of children living in facilities separated from the mom’s and dad’s who love them.
I wonder what Jesus would think of the politicians who say the Bible says to keep the law when so much of what Jesus did defied the norms and at times the laws to display the spirit of the law. Or would he just point out this current practice is neither law nor order.
I don’t know all the answers to what their thoughts would be but I do wonder—enough to write it down and ask others to wonder as well. Not really to answer on my post—just ponder it in your heart. I don’t expect someone who does not claim any loyalty to the Torah or Jesus to have to ponder these questions. But I see them sensibly asking why don’t folks who do claim loyalty to the Torah and Jesus appear to be considering these things.
So I hold the questions out for us to ponder. This is not one on which I really solicit thoughts or comments (of which those of a disrespectful tone will be deleted)--just imagination work for those who claim Abraham as a father and Jesus as Lord. Imagine sitting across the table Joseph or Jesus himself built—perhaps with carpentry tools Joseph brought back from Egypt while in hiding—as Mary the Israelite requests of you, “Tell me about those foreign families in your land.”
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