Rachel Weeping for Her Children

Now after the wise men 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.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 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.”

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. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazarean.” Matthew 2:13-23 

Rachel Weeping for Her Children

One infuriated leader and the children die

one manacle sociopath and they are gassed

the poor and hungry wander faceless in camps

refugees tell the story of our dishonesty.

We put up fences to keep the poor and needy out

we give their children inferior schools and food

we turn our backs as Rachel weeps

and she will not, no never be consoled.

The son of God, the long awaited one

a migrant and refugee fleeing into Egypt

for fear of their lives and their little one

they left familiar Bethlehem for foreign soil.

Who of us will welcome the remnant

the wandering innocent children of Rachel?

Who of us unbeknown to us will welcome

the sweet child of the living God?