Christmas and the Fear of the Illegal Alien

Merry Christmas!!!

In case you forgot, Christmas tells a political story before it tells a sentimental one. It is not about Santa or the beautiful lights. Christmas begins with fear. It unfolds under an empire. It centers on a child whose existence threatened power before he ever spoke a word.

The birth of Jesus did not take place in a non-existent world. It happened in a real place. It occurred under the rule of the Roman Empire, a regime built on control, taxation, surveillance, and military force. Judea lived under occupation. Its people lacked sovereignty. Their lives depended on the goodwill of distant rulers and imperialists who feared unrest more than injustice.

Into this world came a child announced as king.