“When they had gone, 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 NIV

Jesus lived his early childhood as a refugee.

Fleeing from a paranoid ruler who saw this recently born “king of the Jews” as a threat to his reign, Jesus’ family fled Palestine and lived as foreigners in Egypt until the danger had passed.

This fact alone should change the way we see immigrants and refugees.

It should also help us understand how God works.

The Almighty God could have struck down Herod with one word, and yet he let his Son flee to Egypt.

Why?

Because Jesus is God-with-us in the midst of the imperfections of life. He doesn’t distance himself from pain and trouble but instead joins us in them.

The Imperfect Nativity teaches us that we can have hope.

Hope that God is using our imperfect lives to write his perfect story.

Here’s a simple prayer to carry with you today:

Breathe in: God the refugee,
Breathe out: Write your story through me.