Love in a Time of Herod

Here we are, just days after the good news delivered by angels in the heavens, returning to regular life with a flood, as today we remember the slaughter of all the male children under the age of two in Bethlehem in the days after the birth of Jesus. In the story that goes with this day of remembrance, we see Herod behaving in a way that's historically believable, if perhaps not historically accurate. Why would he do such a terrible thing? Partly because he's worried about keeping his power; he's worried about what the wise men have told him, and he doesn't want any challenges. Partly because he can; he has power granted to him by Roman authorities, and that power means that he can slaughter his subjects if he sees fit to do so.

In past years, I've assumed that I lived under a progressive government, that the arc of history had bent towards justice, and our trajectory as a people and a country had moved in the direction of a brighter star.  But lately, it's harder to believe this story we tell ourselves.

I realize that I have been living in a relatively privileged position as a middle class white woman whose ancestors have been in this country for generations.  I realize all the ways it was easy for me to think that our nation's past problems had either been solved or were on their way to being solved.

Now I see a host of problems being created that may take more time to solve than I have on this earth.  I see a world of refugees, and I worry that we may be living in a time where we're all at much greater risk of becoming refugees, whether because a ruthless leader is trying to make a point with our bodies or because the climate has displaced us.

This day reminds us of the potency of power. We shouldn't underestimate the power of the State, particularly the power of a global empire. With the story of Herod, we see the limits of worldly power. Yet even within those limits, a dastardly ruler can unleash all sorts of pain and suffering. Those of us lucky enough to live under benign rulers shouldn't forget how badly life can go wrong for those who don't share our good fortune.

This day also reminds us of the One who offers the ultimate protection.  Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus survive because an angel warns them in a dream, and Joseph flees with Mary and Jesus to Egypt, to safety. But still, the earthly power of Herod turns them into refugees.

We can see this as a story about who has the true power--and yet, it's also a warning about what happens when earthly powers can't be trusted.  In a universe that God sets free to be governed by free will not by God pulling puppet strings, it's up to us to protect the vulnerable. And this story of Herod's slaughter reminds us of what happens when despots are allowed to rule. Sadly, it's a story that we still see playing out across the planet.

I predict that Christians across the nation (and the world) will choose to ignore this difficult text just days after Christmas. Far better to enjoy Christmas carols one last time than to wrestle with this difficult story. But Jesus reminds us again and again that he didn't come to make us all comfortable. He didn't come to be our warm, fuzzy savior. That cute baby in the manger grows up to overturn the regular order, to redeem creation, to restore us to the life that God intends for us--and Herod stands as a potent symbol for what might happen if we take Jesus seriously.