Episode 408: Hope in Exile, Part One

Every year, Christians around the world sing the ancient words from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” which continues, “…and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.”  So what did exile mean in the Biblical story, and what does it mean for our hope this season? What did it mean for the birth of Jesus that his homeland was under foreign occupation under the Roman Empire, or that he and his family had to flee to Egypt in a sort of exile as refugees escaping Herod?  And how do we see all of our lives as Christians lived as “resident aliens” or “exiles” awaiting the new creation when God makes all things new?  These are the questions we’ll be exploring each week with colleagues in ministry Erica, Sarah, Natalie, and Steve this December on Crazy Faith Talk—listen in this Advent!