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Written by Reggie Kidd, a contemporary pastor, professor, and author. This is an excerpt from the book “Exile and Return.”

The Bible’s quintessential account of “exile and return” is Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Matthew’s gospel portrays Jesus’s death and resurrection as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision of God “bringing justice to victory” through his Servant. God’s Servant will suffer in his people’s place to bear their iniquities and justify many. By his rising, Jesus, as God’s servant, will fortify “bruised reeds” and rekindle “smoldering wicks.”  The victory of justice through Jesus’s exile into death and his return from the grave will be so complete that his victory will include Gentiles as well as Jews. For this reason, Jesus insists that people not trumpet his miracles and identity during his earthly ministry. He is not on a tour of self-promotion. Rather, his mission is one of “exile and return” that he might “bring justice to the Gentiles.

Prayer:

Written by Desmond Tutu (1931-2021), a South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop who actively opposed apartheid in the 1980s.

Goodness is stronger than evil.

Love is stronger than hate.

Light is stronger than darkness.

Life is stronger than death.

Victory is ours through Him who loves us.

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Written by Caleb Mathis, a contemporary pastor and writer. This is an excerpt from his work “Daniel: Keys to Surviving the Exile You Don’t Know You’re In.”

Even if you don’t feel like it, if you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re an exile. It’s important to recognize that fact, or you’ll be spinning your wheels in the wrong direction. When followers of Jesus are more formed by their political ideology than their theology, we’ve forgotten we’re exiles. When comfort matters more than conformity to Christ, we’ve lost the plot. When individual freedoms eclipse love of neighbor; when we’re more familiar with the numbers in our bank account than the chapter and verse of the scriptures; when we look and act and think and inhabit the world just like everyone else, we’ve not only forgotten we’re exiles, we’ve been assimilated. The dominant culture has won. The people of God have always been minority populations in the world—and they didn’t seek to be anything else. That minority population toppled the Roman Empire not by force, politics, or violence, but simply by being different. In a highly classed society, the Church treated prince and pauper alike. With hunger and sickness rampaging, the Church emptied itself to feed, clothe, and bandage the forgotten. When sexual relationships had no boundaries, the Church practiced minority sexual ethics. When the world said Caesar was Lord, the Church responded by saying that was Jesus’ title, and then they actually lived like it was true. Perhaps more than anyone else in the scriptures, Daniel understood exile—physical and spiritual. He not only survived his time of exile, he thrived under it. More than ever, we need his example… As much as I love Daniel, he puts me between a rock and a hard place. He leaves me with a choice. I can invest in the comfort of my life here and now: better job, bigger car, greener lawn— or I can humbly accept my life as an exile, a citizen of a coming-but-not-yet-realized Kingdom built on foundations of love and grace, mercy and sacrifice, that our culture will never, ever understand. I can build my life, or I can build something larger and more lasting. What I’m pretty sure I can’t do, though, is build both. Faithful people do faithful things, right? Daniel pushes me to get moving by making peace with being different, leaning on others, becoming a self-feeder, doing good work, and elevating my vision beyond myself. It’s the only way to survive, even thrive, in this exile.

Prayer:

Written by Henry Martyn (1781-1812), an Anglican priest and missionary to the peoples of India and Persia.

O Send thy Light and Thy Truth, that we may live always near to Thee, our God. Let us feel Thy love, that we may be as it were already in heaven, that we may do all our work as the angels do theirs. Let us be ready for every work, be ready to go out or come in, to stay or to depart, just as Thou shalt appoint. Lord, let us have no will of our own, or consider our true happiness as depending in the slightest degree on anything that can befall us outwardly, but as consisting altogether in conformity to Thy will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Written by Walter Lam, head of the Alliance for African Assistance, a mission supported by the Village Church.

I fled persecution from Uganda, went to Kenya and Italy, and finally arrived in San Diego in 1986. This was the most difficult decision for me; not knowing where I was going and leaving my family behind. Everywhere I went during this challenging time, God had His children welcome me. In San Diego, the La Jolla Presbyterian Church welcomed and resettled me. I praise God for making it possible for my family to join me in San Diego after two years. Two years without them was the most difficult part of my life ever. We started Alliance for African Assistance (AAA) in 1989 to resettle refugees with $7,000 seed money from the Presbytery of San Diego’s Self-Development of People Fund. Since then, AAA has resettled 18,757 refugees from more than 50 countries. Additionally, since the inception, AAA has provided various social and medical services to about 216,000 people. The number of Afghan refugees who had helped our Forces before the fall of Kabul and were resettled by AAA comes to 1336, the largest total number resettled in the State of California. Major support from The Village Community Presbyterian Church and most Presbyterian Churches in San Diego, made it possible for AAA to successfully resettle the large number of Afghans within six months. Today the largest population we serve are Ukrainians mostly women and children fleeing from the war in their country. So far, we have provided services to 600 Ukrainians. I believe that God made my family and I go through the refugee resettlement process in order to prepare me to serve His children fleeing persecution and coming to San Diego.

Prayer:

Written by Rebecca Barlow Jordan, a contemporary Christian author.

I long for your presence, Lord. Narrow my thoughts to include only those things that are honorable, truthful, beautiful, pure, and praiseworthy. I ask for your wisdom to apply these truths to my life morning, noon, and night—literally all through the day. For you are worthy to be praised all the time.

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Written by Matthew H. Patton, a contemporary pastor.  This is an excerpt from his work “The End of Exile: The Old Testament as Cliffhanger.”

The Old Testament ends in a cliffhanger. Remember how much God promised would happen: the magnificent complex of promises we call “the restoration” or “the kingdom of God.” And then consider the fizzling disappointment we discover in Ezra–Nehemiah. What is more, consider how Israel’s recalcitrant sin intensifies the problem: If the only way out of exile is through Israel’s repentance, but the very reason for exile is Israel’s inability to repent, how will the restoration ever come to pass? All this leaves us with an unresolved “To be continued . . .” flavor. But it also leaves us with some insights about why God gave us the Old Testament. First, the story of Israel’s ongoing exile deepens our appreciation for how deep sin’s tyranny goes. Even when Israel was in the depths of their misery and knew that they needed to truly repent to be restored, they could not do so. The allure of their sin was too powerful, the corruption of their hearts too great. Second, Israel’s unending exile underscores their desperate need for God to make the first move. They desperately needed a deliverer, one from the outside who would take the initiative to rescue them from something too powerful for them. Third, we see how everything is riding on God’s steadfast commitment to His covenant promises. God’s recollection of these promises prompted a new beginning long ago. Now, after so much sin and apostasy, Israel’s only hope is that He will act on these promises once again, even in their exile. No wonder that in the depths of Israel’s groaning over the loss of Jerusalem, they found hope in the Lord’s steadfast commitment to His ancient covenants. No wonder that God’s compassion repeatedly emerges in passages about the end of exile. The transition from wrath to grace must begin with His compassion for Israel’s bondage to sin, apart from any worthiness in Israel. Finally, we can now appreciate God’s purposes in the small positive trends in Ezra–Nehemiah. Their mitigated return to the land, the small temple, the dubious gift of the wall—these and all the other attenuated blessings cannot be called the promised restoration. But they are signs of God’s continued regard for His people. He will one day make good on His promises, and therefore these small gifts are pledges of greater things to come…Ezra–Nehemiah is a period of “lightened exile,” where they are still in bondage, but God has shown them that He has not forgotten them, even in the valley of the shadow of death, by allowing them to come back to their land. The curtain closes on the OT amid great anticipation. The promised kingdom must come. How will God finally bring exile to an end once and for all? As they say, to be continued . . .

Prayer:

Written by Paige Deane, a contemporary author.

Lord, you are faithful to me. Your glory outshines everything. Help me to step out in faith for your kingdom and to challenge those I’m discipling to do the same. Do not allow us, your disciples, to grow complacent or prideful. Challenge us to step out in faith and depend on you fully for all that we need. You are worthy of our trust. Your plan is perfect. Cast out all doubt that would hold us back from stepping into all that you have called us to do. We are your servants, help us to be obedient to your Holy Spirit’s convictions. You are God above all creation. You are all powerful, all knowing, and always present. We give you all our adoration and praise for your grace and mercy in our lives. Amen.

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Written by Rev. Dr. Donald Owens, Associate Director, Christ Ministry Center/Safe Harbors Network, which is a mission partner of the Village Church.

Emily is an asylum seeker from Haiti, she has three teens with her. The teens are two females and a male, ages 13, 15, and 16. Emily arrived to Safe Harbors Network from Haiti via Venezuela. I took a particular interest in Emily’s family based on the appearance of the two girls, suspecting a possible disability. I wanted to address my suspicions to Emily. It turned out Emily was highly guarded regarding her family. Initially, Emily was unable to communicate at all regarding her children without starting to cry or would simply not communicate. I learned that the children had not yet been enrolled in school and offered to assist in any way possible. After a few days, Emily came to me about enrolling her children in school. And we went through the process together. We had to have the children vaccinated, complete the school paperwork, and take the documents to the school and manage the enrollment with school staff. Emily speaks Haitian Creole and Spanish, however, Creole is her primary language, so there was a language barrier to manage. It turned out that the children have a medical condition that requires prescribed medications and that was conveyed to the school. Throughout the process, Emily continued to maintain a guarded and stressed demeanor, it was obvious she was stressed and uncomfortable. Finally, everything was submitted, and the children started to attend school. Emily listed me as a person that the children could be released to in case of an emergency. Emily did everything she needed to do to the best of her ability despite being uncomfortable.  For me, there are a couple of spiritual moments that are particularly special. One is knowing that the children were going to go back to school and knowing they will have a chance at a different life when they are adults. The teens were all very excited and eager to go back to school. The second is knowing that Safe Harbors Network was able to make a breakthrough with an asylee who is very guarded based on prior trauma. I ran into Emily shortly thereafter at the church parking lot. She cheerfully greeted me and asked about my family. Then without solicitation, she said, “Thank you.” I felt that the thank you was genuine and heartfelt. The best part of that interaction though was her smile, big and bright as a sunny day.

Prayer:

Written by Father Dan Hartnett, a contemporary priest.  For over 20 years he worked in Peru where he created a Jesuit University in Lima.

God of love and compassion: may we always recognize your spirit: in the refugee family, seeking safety from violence; in the migrant worker, bringing food to our tables; in the asylum-seekers, seeking justice for their families; in the unaccompanied child, traveling in a dangerous world. Give us hearts that break open whenever our brothers and sisters turn to us. Give us hearts that no longer turn deaf to their voices in times of need; Give us eyes to recognize a moment for grace instead of a threat. Give us voices that fail to remain silent but decide instead to advocate prophetically. Give us hands that reach out in welcome, but also in work, for a world of justice until all homelands are safe and secure. Bless us, O Lord. Amen.

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Written by Pete Enns, a contemporary professor of Biblical Studies.

We need to give our crisis a narrative, something to tell ourselves and others so we can make some sense of the pain and find hope for tomorrow. We may tell our story to a friend over coffee or on a blog. We might journal—or even write a book or two. And the Judahites, in the centuries following the return from Babylon, created what would come to be called the Jewish Bible or Christian Old Testament. I don’t mean to suggest that nothing had been written down until this sixth-century national crisis of faith. Certainly, the Israelites long before had written stories, accounts of battles, court records of kings, and poems and songs to express who they were, where they came from, and how their God, Yahweh, is wrapped up in all of it. But it was only in the wake of the crisis of God’s abandonment that they needed to tell their whole story—to make sense of how broken their past had been and how shattered it had become as they wept by the waters of Babylon (as Psalm 137 puts it).  Exile is the changing circumstance that brought the ancient Judahites to their knees and forced them to engage their past and reimagine God for their present and future. The ancient Judahites, who would later come to be called Jews, had to tell their story. They had to account for the crisis, to process it, and to move forward to a better future. That’s how the Bible was born. Out of crisis. And the question that drove these ancient writers and editors was the wisdom question we have been looking at all along: “What is God up to today, right here and now?”

Prayer:

Written by John Baillie (1886-1960) was a Scottish theologian and  a Church of Scotland minister.

For the power Thou hast given me to lay hold of things unseen;

For the strong sense I have that this is not my home;

For my restless heart which nothing finite can satisfy, I give Thee thanks, O God.

For the invasion of my soul by Thy Holy Spirit;

For all human love and goodness that speak to me of thee;

For the fullness of Thy glory outpoured in Jesus Christ; I give Thee thanks O God. Amen.

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Written by Vickie Stone from the Village Church.

Did you ever wonder if Jesus felt in exile? Being in the human form, he certainly experienced all the human conditions, including being separated from his family, separated too perhaps from his heavenly Father.  Recall when Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, knowing what would soon tragically befall Him: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done”.

In Jesus’ time, every Jew awaited the day God would come to the world, born of a virgin, be in human form, be despised, and then rejected like the prophet Isaiah had written. Many believed Jesus was the Messiah however many others believed He was a liar. Jesus told them “My Father and I are one” and unbelievers cried, “That is blasphemy!”

Jesus told them “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me.”  Whispers circulated and cynics cried out even more. Jesus preached to thousands and healed many through His miracles and proclaimed, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in me shall never die.” Jesus was aware he was starting a movement and he knew this put him at great risk, yet he stayed true to his convictions. Jesus knew the truth and he did not sway from it. He drew his courage and his strength from God, his father. And he did it through prayer. At a time in His life when he knew prophecy had to be fulfilled, he was on his knees in prayer striving to stay close to his Father in heaven. How often do we pray? We know as followers of Jesus, staying close to him requires a relationship, it requires prayer so that we do not feel separated from him and instead rely on His guidance. When I struggle most, I realize it’s when I’ve let my life get too busy and I’ve exiled myself. I need to return to God In prayer.

Prayer:

Written by Tiffany Thibault, a contemporary writer and Bible Study leader.

Dear Lord, thank you for being gracious and merciful to me. Thank you for the promise that you will not turn your face from me if I return to you. Forgive me Lord for allowing other things to take priority and for taking my focus off you. Help me Lord to obey your commands, to choose your way every time. Let me Lord not be swayed by the choices of those around me, but to keep my eyes always on you. In your name I pray, Amen.

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