When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, some people were happy but King Herod was afraid. A prophet had said that a new king would come from Bethlehem, and then three wise men came from the East, following a star seeking a child! King Herod wanted to stay in power, so he decided to kill Jesus.

An angel told Joseph in a dream to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt and to stay there until it was safe to come back. Jesus and Joseph and Mary were refugees in Egypt. A refuge is a safe place and a refugee is a person who is fleeing persecution (being punished for something you didn’t do) and goes somewhere to be safe.

Today there are also refugees in the Middle East and in Africa, as well as other parts of the world. Josephine Lake is a refugee from Sudan. As religious strife and political disputes keep the Middle East in turmoil, the Anglican Church shines as a beacon of hope by providing schools, hospitals, and other supports to those who are in need.

If you would like to know more about refugees, you can visit the Episcopal Migration Ministries webpage.