The Feast Day of St. Stephen: Remembering the Martyrs

Today is the feast day of Saint Stephen.  I wrote this blog piece for the Living Lutheran site.

Here are some quotes to whet your appetite:

"Maybe it’s time to go back to read those Christmas texts. The threat is never far away. After all, we see Mary and Jesus as parents who can’t find a decent place to stay as they bring their baby into the world, and then they must flee the terror that Herod is about to inflict. They’re refugees, in almost constant peril in the story — that’s if we read beyond the angels and the worshiping shepherds and questing wise men."

" Let us take some time away from our holiday festivities to remember those who have died for their faith. Let us take some time to remember the refugees who must flee the force of tyrants. Let us offer prayers for those who are still persecuted. Let us light a candle as we remember God’s promise that the kingdom breaks through in the presence of the baby in the manger, a kingdom where families will not lose their babies to the terror of tyrants, where young adults like Stephen will not be stoned for their beliefs."