A Life in Exile

The Middle East is unique in so many ways, as the birthplace of three major religions. It’s known conquest, occupation, and war over the centuries, and her people have been pushed and pulled, exiled and relocated, targeted and killed by multiple rulers, tyrants, and even neighbors.

In this region, I’ve witnessed the joy of a couple getting married, a new birth in the family, a child getting a good grade in school, or graduating from college. I’ve sat at tables full of food the guests could not possibly finish, while the hosts begged and encouraged us to eat just a bit more. Hospitality was offered in tents and concrete block homes, as well as in large, lavish apartments and villas.

In this region, I’ve also witnessed overwhelming grief at the loss of a daughter due to a gas leak in a portable heater. I’ve seen a widow struggle to find a safe place and work for her two older daughters, already traumatized by displacement and abuse. New believers have been rejected, lost jobs, thrown out of families, and jailed.

Decades of conflict have led to millions being either internally displaced or seeking refugee status in other countries. Few live where their family originally came from. I’ve been reflecting on this of late, as I consider the birth of Christ and what it means for us today.

He was born in an occupied land. His family fled to Egypt, while he was still a baby, to avoid the ethnic cleansing of Jewish boys under the age of two. He then grew up in a town of low esteem in a poor carpenter’s home. By the age of thirty, he called no place home and was constantly on the move, sometimes for his own safety. He died a gruesome death, a result of an unjust ruling by a mob and an indifferent ruler.

But that death was not without purpose, because his life was not without purpose.

Christ alone is the hope for the Middle East, as he is for the world. Consider what can be found in him when a Muslim or nominal Christian puts their trust in Jesus.

In Christ alone:

• Muslim and Christian background believers find peace.
• Muslim and Christian background believers find friendship and fellowship.
• Muslim and Christian background believers find refuge in exile.
• Muslim and Christian background believers find hope.
• Muslim and Christian background believers find purpose.
• Muslim and Christian background believers find home.
• Muslim and Christian background believers find rest.

In the poorest of homes, in lives filled with the poorest of prospects, I have seen complete contentment and hope because of Jesus. Neighbors notice the difference. Circumstances have not changed, but outlook has, words have, and actions have. When Christ comes into a life and a home, people notice.

You may be living and serving in another region today. The answer for your people and nation is the same—Jesus Christ. As you celebrate Christmas, wherever you serve, pray for the people of the Middle East to meet the Prince of Peace before he returns a second time to judge the nations. The day is drawing near. May we be people who give witness to Christ, who alone can save and redeem.

Grace and Peace