As churches across St. Louis hang wreaths, rehearse nativity plays and collect donations for families in need, the central message of Christianity is emphasized once again: care for the vulnerable, welcome the stranger and love without condition. These values — generosity, mercy and humility — lie at the heart of the Christmas story itself. Yet for many St. Louis residents still recovering from the devastating May 16 tornado, the gap between those ideals and lived reality remains painfully wide.
The birth of Jesus is not merely a sentimental story about a child in a manger. It is a story rooted in displacement, political fear and survival. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was born into a world where his parents fled violence, crossing borders to escape a ruler determined to kill their child. Mary and Joseph became refugees in Egypt — undocumented, vulnerable and dependent on the compassion of strangers.
Faith leaders often point out that, in today’s America, the holy family might face detention or deportation. The Christmas story, stripped of its pageantry, is a reminder that Jesus entered the world through instability and uncertainty — not comfort or privilege…