I was a stranger and you welcomed me … (Matthew 25:35).

Today there are more than 60 million displaced people in the world, more than at any time since World War II. From Syria, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Somalia, Afghanistan and Colombia, people are fleeing for their lives from war, famine, gang violence, crushing poverty, drought and floods. Parents make the wrenching choice to send their children away with the hope that the possibility of a better life in a new country outweighs the violence of their home countries and the perils of the journey.

It seems the whole world is on the move.

Migration has been part of the story of the people of God from the beginning. Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, and God sent Abram and Sarai from their homeland to a new land. Joseph’s brothers and father were refugees in Egypt. Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years after God liberated them from oppression and infanticide. The people of God suffered bitter exile in Babylon after they were forced from Judah by war and ethnic cleansing.

The memory of migration, forced exile, of being the stranger stayed with the people of God through the centuries and became part of their confession of faith: “… you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien …” (Deuteronomy 26:5).

The experience of God’s people compelled Israel to give special care to the stranger. “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34).

Let us pray, God of all compassion, Comfort your sons and daughters who live with HIV. Spread over us all your quilt of mercy, love and peace. Open our eyes to your presence reflected in their faces. Open our ears to your truth echoing in their hearts. Give us the strength to weep with the grieving, to walk with the lonely, to stand with the depressed. May our love mirror your love for those who live in fear, who live under stress and who suffer rejection. Mothering, fathering God grant rest to those who have died and hope to all who live with HIV. God of life, help us to find the cure now and help us to build a world in which no one dies alone and where everyone lives accepted, wanted and loved. We pray in your name. Amen.

Offer hope this holiday season by joining LIRS in writing Christmas cards and purchasing gifts for children impacted by immigration detention.

As Lutherans, we are challenged to meet those displaced by violence with God’s love. Never has the call been more urgent or clear.

This Advent season, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is offering several ways that individuals and Lutheran congregations across the country can stand in solidarity with migrants and refugees in our communities. Give the gift of hope through participating in the following activities:

1. Offer prayers for migrants and refugees
2. Organize a Thanksgiving dinner “Breaking Bread and Building Bridges” event
3. Participate in our holiday card writing campaign and online gift drive to bring joy to the children isolated in family detention facilities in Texas and Pennsylvania
4. Sign the petition to end family detention

Visit us at http://lirs.org/hopefortheholidays to learn more.