Christmas is on my mind. I don’t put up a nativity set, but I do have an exceedingly large collection of Department 56 houses which have a strong Christmas Carol theme.  They represent my hope that Scrooges everywhere will discover the true meaning of Christmas.  While I’m not a Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) fan, I was very proud of this statement:

Washington will continue to be a state that welcomes those seeking refuge from persecution, regardless of where they come from or the religion they practice. We have been and will continue to be a state that embraces compassion and eschews fear mongering.

Do we learn from history?
Or, are we destined to repeat the past?

During World War II, people with Nazi sympathies in the United States refused to embrace Jewish refugees desperate to flee Hitler.  They were on the wrong side of history.

Yet, here we are again.  Republican governors who increasingly remind me of Nazi sympathizers are refusing to embrace Syrian refugees.  Most of their constituents claim to be Christians.

Are they?

Mary and Joseph were Middle Eastern refugees desperate for safe shelter before the birth of Jesus.

As you set up your nativity scene this year, I want you to ask yourself WWJD about those Syrian refugees.