Wayne Forte

Many Conservative Christians who support a "wall-'em-out" immigration policy dislike describing the Holy Family in flight to Egypt as "refugees," claiming it "politicizes" the Bible. If you happen to share this view, read no further. This charcoal drawing from Filipino-American Artist Wayne Forte was specially commissioned for the Sacred Art Pilgrim Collection exhibition, Family in Flight, an Advent art display looking at the journey of Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus to Egypt in the context of the current debate over who is welcome in America.  I asked Wayne to consider the question of what might have happened had the Holy Family arrived at their final destination in search of safety only to be stopped at the border. Here is his haunting response. We see the iconic image of Joseph leading a donkey, bearing Mary and the Christ Child, silhouetted against a garishly-lit backdrop with a cyclone fence topped in barbed wire and a gun-toting border guard and attack dog. The meaning of the hodge-podge of signs in English (and Spanish) is all too clear: foreigners, go home.  For Scripture-quoting Christians who might share such sentiments, here is an equally clear message from the Bible to think about: "But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19:34, KJV)." (John Kohan)