Joseph took his family and fled into Egypt to escape persecution at the hands of Herod. Joseph was forced to take bold steps to save Jesus from certain death. Young boys were killed in the cruel persecution that overwhelmed the small village of Bethlehem.

In a dramatic way, this event bridges the history of Israel, the life of Jesus, and much of human history, including our own times.

The overwhelming majority of Americans have a story of immigration in their families. While many of our ancestors were in search of opportunity, or freedom, or to be reunited with their families, many of our ancestors did not come here willingly. Millions were forced refugees by starvation, oppression, and worst of all, slavery.

The tragedy of forced migration still plagues our world. There is an untold horror to the lives that millions of people are forced to live in every day.

At this festive time of the year our thoughts are tuned into giving and generosity, we need to be reminded of the struggle of so many people throughout the world. Like the Holy Family, too many people are displaced and persecuted. The resources of the governments and agencies which see to the needs of these refugees are stretched beyond measure. Our own country is struggling with the question of immigration and there are movements to strengthen the borders, denying for this generation the opportunities that our ancestors, and even many of us individually, enjoyed.

These are not easy issues, and the account of the plight of the Holy Family was not merely a political one, yet they remind us all of the need for compassion and mercy in the face of horrendous human tragedy.

We do not often focus on the reality that the Holy Family fled Bethlehem because they were hunted. Jesus was specifically viewed as a threat to the security of the Herodian dynasty and he was targeted. Most of us cannot imagine that horror. We see refugees amassed on the border or think of our ancestors coming here with thousands of others crammed onto ships fleeing political turmoil, but we do not envision the horror of having your name on a wanted poster as a perceived enemy of the state. Indeed that is what the Holy Family became – enemies of the state.

There are many ways in which the Holy Family fleeing into Egypt offers a challenge to us. While many millions of people are on the move each year, there are hundreds of millions more whose plight is as bad if not worse than those who can flee. The unspeakable horrors exacted by despotic rulers, greedy mega-corporations, natural and man-made disasters, wars, and terrorism shreds the life and life’s blood from countless millions each day.

Not all such painful situations get coverage on the news channels, nor do they all happen in remote corners of the world. The homeless population crisis in California is itself staggering and shameful. The silent maltreatment of the vulnerable in society – the infirmed, elderly, children, and the preborn – is a reminder to us of the crisis in society and within our families.

The difficulty is that these are all macro-images, occurring on levels that you and I individually and even collectively can make little or no impact. Yes, we need to be conscious when voting, but we know that makes little difference most of the time. We can be generous to preferred charities locally and globally, mindful always of their mission.

Our most important impact is on the micro-level. We are called to be present to and generous within our own families. To insure the safety and welfare of those in our neighborhoods, work places, and schools. Virtually every family is impacted by addiction, mental health issues, suicide, or protracted and debilitating illness. We need to start there.

We are called to be proactive and to demand justice for all people. A world in which all people can live in their homes or the lands on which they were born or choose to live is the hallmark of peace and the desire of our prayers and hopes. Let us pray and for peace within our own homes and in our communities. May this coming new year see us moving towards healing and away from the discontent and discord that so rivets us as a society.

Let us pray for yes, while yet shouting for justice.