O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, I am Refugee

Every time I listen to “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” I hear it. The next words say, “to ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here.”

Every time, I think of the refugees and the crisis we are facing.

I think of the Israelites – of how they’ve always been running and taking refuge in the strangest places – caves and hills and Egypt and their home land and now even in America.

From the beginning, Adam and Eve were exiled out of Eden, and we sit in wondrous wait for the day He will appear, and we will return home. No snakes to drive us out. No mistakes or sin or hopelessness will dwell there.

From Eden
to Lot running from Sodom and Gomorrah, wife turning to salt,
to Joseph sold into slavery to his life in Egypt
to the Israelites moving to Egypt and becoming slaves
to Moses saying to Pharaoh, “Let my people go”
to the wondering desert places
to the Kings and the Northern and Southern Kingdom.

The Israelites captive in Assyria, and then in Babylonia.
Israel has known captivity, has known what it is like to be a refugee.

All the way to the baby Jesus whose parents traveled to Bethlehem for the census. They made none  of the prophecies of old come true of themselves. Only God orchestrated their actions which fulfilled the prophets foretelling. Like Moses who’d been destined for death, so was baby Jesus, so his parents fled to Egypt. Jesus was a refugee too.

The funny thing about this song is that no one really knows who wrote it. It is said to be written by a monk in the 8th century during the Dark Ages as a tool to teach others the Gospel message when the Bible was not easily accessed. It is a haunting hymn and sounds as if it speaks of Christ’s second coming, not the first.

At Christ’s first coming, while He did come to “ransom captive Israel,” that’s not really who was ransomed, was it? It was me. I mean, Christ did come for Israel, but they mostly did not accept Him. Before Christ, I was not part of God’s chosen. I was on the margins, and sure, I could decide to believe on the name of Yahweh like others before me – Rahab and Ruth, for example. There were always examples of God’s grace in the time before He came, but when He came, I was part of the margins no more. I could be found. I could come home – to the home I didn’t know I was searching for.

Christians became the new refugees at Christ’s return to the Father and many met death.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,
to ransom captive all who need to be free
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, I am Refugee.

My history is that of the Christian nation and that of the Israelite nation and that of humanity’s. We are Refugees. Jesus came for us.

I think about my crazy house this past year, about how I have wanted many times to run far away to a place of safety, of life and light, where stress and fighting and weariness exist no more, where trials have ended, and hope is truth, where unity is easy, and love always wins. I have wanted for Heaven, the new Eden to come on earth. Indeed, I have been a spiritual refugee, running from all the deadly things, but that’s what Advent is for – the reminder the Christ will return and take me back to that haven above, my place of safety Eternal.

I promise you when I developed what I would talk about for this Christmas series, I wasn’t trying to make a political statement. It was for the margins. Somehow or another, I identify strongly with the margins, even though there is no case for why other than my highly sensitive self.

I don’t see how we can talk about putting Muslims in camps (I saw this on my FB feed) or in not caring for the Syrian Refugees. Have we forgotten our own history? Have we forgotten that we were among the margins, and that we were invited in when we did not deserve an invitation? Have we forgotten the command of Love? Have we forgotten that Jesus is in the face of the least? That we are commanded to show hospitality to strangers and that when we do, we may be entertaining angels?

How then could we cast out what may well be God among us?

But this series was for the heart of our own situations. I have a love for the least, but I am not doing a whole heck of a lot for them other than talking and advocating for them. The least of these that I am serving now are the ones I sometimes dismiss serving – my husband, my children, and myself. I don’t know your hard places or the people you want to easily dismiss and not stop to see today. You may see ugly where beauty resides and vice versa. It could be that like Mary, you are gazing at the face of God – in the mirror, in your children, in the homeless person you hate to look at, at the woman at the grocery store you usually fail to see. So be kind, and look all around. The beauty of God is found in the least likely places, and it warms us and brings us home, back to the Eden we long for. Until then, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

We are talking about hard things for Christmas. I hope that’s okay. I know right now my words are not like fuzzy socks, and warm chicken and rice soup on a cold day, or a nice glass of sweet tea, but on an ordinary day, I hope my words are like a warm hug, bringing you back to the heart of the goodness and love of God. I love you dearly, sweet reader friends. Be held, loved, and sung over by the blessed love of God.

So far I’ve worn my dresses every day for Dressember. I have not come close to my goal of $300 yet. Click here to see my crazy self on my instagram feed. Click here if you can help.