Innocents – On the Trek to Safety
Armenian woman kneeling beside dead child in a field within sight of help and safety at Aleppo, Syria, Source http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html (Reproduction No. LC-USZ62-48100), Author Near East Foundation f/k/a American Committee for Relief in the Near East (PD)
“So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘Every [Hebrew] son who is born you shall cast into the river…’ ” (Ex. 1: 22).
“Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under…” (Matt. 2: 16).
Nearly four thousand years ago, a pharaoh ordered all male infants born to an ethnic minority drowned. Seventeen hundred years later, a king ordered all male children aged two and under slaughtered.
Innocents are still being slaughtered. Some die quickly by sword or gunshot, some die slowly by disease and starvation. Some die in the sea on the trek to safety. The photo above was taken around 1917. It could have been taken yesterday.
A powerful ruler attempted to exterminate an ethnic minority. But God brought forth a deliverer, Moses, and the nation Israel was born. A cruel king attempted to defend his throne against a babe born in a manger. But God brought forth Jesus Christ, the Redeemer for all nations and all peoples on the earth.
Have a blessed Christmas!
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://avoicereclaimed.com
A Lawyer's Prayers 
when I see such suffering I wish that He would come soon…
I know exactly what you mean.
Very profound Anna. So if we help the refugees coming today will we be like Moses’ family, who refused to drown him? I hope so. Peace and Merry Christmas!
If Christians will not respond to suffering, who will? Have a Merry Christmas, Nicodemas.
Yes! I’m willing to dig in my pocket a little deeper. Merry Christmas!
Looking at that picture reminds me of how the innocent always suffer the most when nations go to war. In my lifetime alone the suffering of little children is incalculable when one considers the sheer numbers of wars and regional conflicts that have occurred. Sadly, humanity refuses to acknowledge that they do not have the answers,and apart from God they never will.
As you say Anna,if we don’t respond to suffering,who else will?
God bless you, Ron.
Yup, thousands of years of heartbreak. And these days, it’s like all those years rolled into one
I’m sure thankful God is in control over all the craziness that appears to be taking control!
God’s blessings to you this Christmas, Anna 🙂 ♥ ❤
Many thanks! And to you! ❤
Anna, I was just reading an article online in the Wall Street Journal about how ISIS has captured thousands of blank passports and the equipment to make them official looking from Iraq and Syria from government offices in these two countries. Those monitoring the influx of refugees from these countries into Europe have found some of these false passports in the hands of some men coming into Europe with the refugees. One of them was in the hands of one of the Paris attackers and an Egyptian man who was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood with a false Syrian passport was arrested in Austria.
Isn’t it just like the devil to mix ISIS operatives in with these poor refugees in order deter an attempt to help them relocate them into other countries? This prophesy of Jesus about these end times comes to mind, “And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold.”
(Matthew 24:12 RSVA).
We truly need the heart of Christ in us if we are going to make it through to the end with warm and loving hearts. Merry Christmas to you and all who follow your blogs. ❤
So true, Michael. And so appropriate to this season of love.
Your friend,
A. ❤