Going to Nazareth

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

Loving Creator who leads us all

from war torn places to safe valleys

from places of trauma to foreign safety

you lead us all back home as well.

The Christ child was carried to foreign lands

as the rulers anger struck and killed so many

his parents met with the challenges and barriers 

and yet you lead them to safety and safely home.

Our world is filled with divisions and traumas

greed and anger have obscured our journey

we need directions and signs to lead us on

you have always been a star and sign for all.

Help us today to call on you when we are lost

let us trust that the way is set before us now

help us to envision a new day dawning upon us

and help us to lead others to safety and home. Amen.