{{2016_01_28_t1.jpg}} {{2016_01_28_t2.jpg}} {{2016_01_28_t3.jpg}} [[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/de/doku.php/jn_de_2016_01_28|Deutsche Version]] [[Start|| Wiki Start]] [[topics_collection_viii|| Topics Collection viii ]] ======God was a Refugee ...====== Thursday, Jan 28, 2016. We have been sitting yesterday, with about 12 people from different parts of the middle east, who have fled this year and have now found shelter in Germany. They turned up in our church some weeks ago, and after they came several times to the service, we invited them to a bible study group - and here we are. This is a quite interesting experience ... {{2016_01_28.jpg }} **Many languages ...** We have been sitting with many languages, with several different nations. We were lucky, one of our refugees has been in Germany now for two years and could translate German (some) or English (better) into Farsi. But not everyone speaks Farsi, not everyone speaks Arabic, some speak Urdu only. The Gideons provided bibles ... and we started to read the gospels. Believe it or not, but the Holy Spirit loves refugees. He wants to reach humans, all humans. But he also knows the situation to be in a foreign environment. We have read Matthew 1 and 2 yesterday, and one part of the story is that Josef and Mary with the baby Jesus had to flee to Egypt. They knew how it is to be threatened, to go into a foreign country, far away from family and friends. They know how it is not to know the language. God knows how it is to be in trouble. That is one part, a very special but important part of the Christmas story, of God becoming human, of Jesus being the son of God. With our refugees we also discussed the miracles which are reported here, and they wanted to know the different understanding between Jews and Christians, they asked what they should think about the virgin birth. A miracle is reported here, but I told them that at this point it cannot be judged. When you just start to read, how could you tell what is true or what is not. You have to go on, get to know who Jesus is when you see him act and talk ... when the story of Jesus is continuing in the gospels. {{ 2016_01_28_2.jpg}} **Refugee to Egypt ...** 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, 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.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2, 13ff) As Europeans or with a scientific background, we sometimes stumble over the dreams and miracles which are part of this story. But if you let them stand as they are for a moment, and ask for the meaning of what is reported, the story becomes very exciting! God is there, and he comes into the middle of our world. The story is embedded into God's history with his people, the people of Israel. We hear about the genealogy of Jesus before, in two versions - one from Abraham to Josef, the other from Abraham to Mary. As if God had been being very careful with gender equality 2000 years ago ;-). And there were the magi, who came to worship the child. They were people who looked beyond their immediate environment. They looked to the stars, to the sky. They tried to find meaning in what they observe - and they found the origin of life! There are so many things in these stories, which we all hear around Christmas, but which can help us tremendously for our understanding of life and of God! And then, we hear these few words about God growing up in a foreign country. What a story! (RWEP) [[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/en/doku.php/topics_collection_viii|... more texts]]