Devotion for January 5

read Matthew2:13-23

from the artist | Rev. Lauren Wright Pittman

Flight to Egypt | Lauren Wright Pi"man

Digital painting

Our ancestors forge pathways that become a part of who we are. It is difficult to break those patterns, even if you aren’t keenly aware of them. In this context, one of the most defining ancestral narratives of an Israelite’s life would be the Exodus narrative. Joseph is advised to move in direct opposition to the way his ancestors moved. He must go toward Egypt instead of away. It takes great courage to consider the ingrained pa!erns of your history and blaze a new trail.

Joseph must uproot his family from their home to ensure their son will become who he was made to be. In this image, the Holy Family escapes the wrath of Herod in Bethlehem and faithfully travels toward the looming unknown in Egypt. They are flanked by flowers: on the left are Star of Bethlehem flowers and on the right are stylized lotus flowers you might see in Egyptian art. In the background are shadowy figures. On the left, they represent Herod’s men seeking to kill Jesus, and on the right, they represent the weight of the past—God’s enslaved people and their oppressors. The menacing silhoue!es surround the family, personifying the inherent risk in either path they choose to take. The angel of God envelops the Holy Family in an embrace, comforting them from the grief of leaving home and shielding them from the fear of what is to come. In other icons of this pilgrimage, the Nile River often flows below, teeming with fish, but I chose to fill the water with lotus flowers, Egypt’s national flower and a symbol of regeneration. God is writing a new story, transforming their destination, which swells with generational trauma and pain, into a haven of refuge and rebirth.

pray

Breathe deeply as you gaze upon the image above. Imagine placing yourself in this scene. What do you see? How do you feel? Get quiet and still, o#ering a silent or spoken prayer to God.