Thursday, 14 December
Day 14 - Joseph
Joseph – a reflection
Joseph – Reflection by Graham Fender-Allison
On the 6th December, Aria Danika, project coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières on the island of Lesbos, said:
‘Entire families who recently arrived from countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are packed into small summer tents, under the rain and in low temperatures struggling to keep dry and warm. In our mental health clinic we have received an average of 10 patients with acute mental distress every day, including many who tried to kill themselves or self-harm. The situation on the island was already terrible. Now it’s beyond desperate.’
Beyond desperate.
Two words that describe the story of refugees across the world and throughout history. Families fleeing their homes to escape danger, travelling long distance over harsh and dangerous terrain, enduring cold days and nights, having little to no food, exposed to the risk of robbery or the desperation of others and arriving at a destination so overcrowded that the resources are pushed beyond breaking point.
When we consider the story of Mary and Jospeh, do we see any parallels?
The long journey they were forced to take, the dangers they faced, their final arrival at a place where overcrowding or suspicion forced them to accept humiliating conditions just so they could finally have their baby.
Beyond desperate.
And yet this is where we see God, born.
Today, as we consider the character of Jospeh, we reflect on what his experience must have been like.
What would his fears have been?
How would he have coped?
What might he have been willing to do to protect his family?
What might you have done had you met him and his pregnant wife back then?
What strengths and resilience must he have possessed?
More importantly,
how might we respond to the Josephs we have read about today?
Invite friends and family to open our Advent calendar by sharing https://churchofscotland.adventcalendar.com
Joseph – Reflection by Graham Fender-Allison
On the 6th December, Aria Danika, project coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières on the island of Lesbos, said:
‘Entire families who recently arrived from countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are packed into small summer tents, under the rain and in low temperatures struggling to keep dry and warm. In our mental health clinic we have received an average of 10 patients with acute mental distress every day, including many who tried to kill themselves or self-harm. The situation on the island was already terrible. Now it’s beyond desperate.’
Beyond desperate.
Two words that describe the story of refugees across the world and throughout history. Families fleeing their homes to escape danger, travelling long distance over harsh and dangerous terrain, enduring cold days and nights, having little to no food, exposed to the risk of robbery or the desperation of others and arriving at a destination so overcrowded that the resources are pushed beyond breaking point.
When we consider the story of Mary and Jospeh, do we see any parallels?
The long journey they were forced to take, the dangers they faced, their final arrival at a place where overcrowding or suspicion forced them to accept humiliating conditions just so they could finally have their baby.
Beyond desperate.
And yet this is where we see God, born.
Today, as we consider the character of Jospeh, we reflect on what his experience must have been like.
What would his fears have been?
How would he have coped?
What might he have been willing to do to protect his family?
What might you have done had you met him and his pregnant wife back then?
What strengths and resilience must he have possessed?
More importantly,
how might we respond to the Josephs we have read about today?
Invite friends and family to open our Advent calendar by sharing https://churchofscotland.adventcalendar.com
Let’s keep in touch. If you've not done so already, sign-up below for our e-news service. When you submit, you can also opt-in for daily Advent alerts with a link to each new film.
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Joseph – a reflection
Joseph – Reflection by Graham Fender-Allison
On the 6th December, Aria Danika, project coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières on the island of Lesbos, said:
‘Entire families who recently arrived from countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are packed into small summer tents, under the rain and in low temperatures struggling to keep dry and warm. In our mental health clinic we have received an average of 10 patients with acute mental distress every day, including many who tried to kill themselves or self-harm. The situation on the island was already terrible. Now it’s beyond desperate.’
Beyond desperate.
Two words that describe the story of refugees across the world and throughout history. Families fleeing their homes to escape danger, travelling long distance over harsh and dangerous terrain, enduring cold days and nights, having little to no food, exposed to the risk of robbery or the desperation of others and arriving at a destination so overcrowded that the resources are pushed beyond breaking point.
When we consider the story of Mary and Jospeh, do we see any parallels?
The long journey they were forced to take, the dangers they faced, their final arrival at a place where overcrowding or suspicion forced them to accept humiliating conditions just so they could finally have their baby.
Beyond desperate.
And yet this is where we see God, born.
Today, as we consider the character of Jospeh, we reflect on what his experience must have been like.
What would his fears have been?
How would he have coped?
What might he have been willing to do to protect his family?
What might you have done had you met him and his pregnant wife back then?
What strengths and resilience must he have possessed?
More importantly,
how might we respond to the Josephs we have read about today?
Invite friends and family to open our Advent calendar by sharing https://churchofscotland.adventcalendar.com
Joseph – Reflection by Graham Fender-Allison
On the 6th December, Aria Danika, project coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières on the island of Lesbos, said:
‘Entire families who recently arrived from countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are packed into small summer tents, under the rain and in low temperatures struggling to keep dry and warm. In our mental health clinic we have received an average of 10 patients with acute mental distress every day, including many who tried to kill themselves or self-harm. The situation on the island was already terrible. Now it’s beyond desperate.’
Beyond desperate.
Two words that describe the story of refugees across the world and throughout history. Families fleeing their homes to escape danger, travelling long distance over harsh and dangerous terrain, enduring cold days and nights, having little to no food, exposed to the risk of robbery or the desperation of others and arriving at a destination so overcrowded that the resources are pushed beyond breaking point.
When we consider the story of Mary and Jospeh, do we see any parallels?
The long journey they were forced to take, the dangers they faced, their final arrival at a place where overcrowding or suspicion forced them to accept humiliating conditions just so they could finally have their baby.
Beyond desperate.
And yet this is where we see God, born.
Today, as we consider the character of Jospeh, we reflect on what his experience must have been like.
What would his fears have been?
How would he have coped?
What might he have been willing to do to protect his family?
What might you have done had you met him and his pregnant wife back then?
What strengths and resilience must he have possessed?
More importantly,
how might we respond to the Josephs we have read about today?
Invite friends and family to open our Advent calendar by sharing https://churchofscotland.adventcalendar.com
Let’s keep in touch. If you've not done so already, sign-up below for our e-news service. When you submit, you can also opt-in for daily Advent alerts with a link to each new film.