Portfolio 1: Jesus as a refugee

Being a refugee is a life-changing experience. It is certain from our knowledge of refugees today that Jesus would have been a different person had he not had to make that journey.
First, Jesus had to endure the flight to Egypt. It would have been hundreds of miles probably on foot with hardly any resources. He would also be being chased by the king's men. Jesus would have lived for awhile without food, possessions, or even a home by no fault of his own. This would allow him to understand more fully the poor and oppressed in his community. Jesus may have also grown up with more radical ideas about his government in Israel. As we have seen today in places like Iraq and Palestine, many refugees have an extreme hate for the governments responsible for their displacement. Perhaps Jesus and his family gained hate for the government in Israel who made them flee and terrorized those families who were still there with infants, which would explain Jesus' radical methods of defying authority figures in order to get his message across.
Jesus also had to live in Egypt for a few years. Like the boy from Sudan in the video clip we saw, Jesus would have had to adapt to the region. Egypt was not a Jewish country. By living with the Egytians, Jesus would have a greater understanding of the Gentiles and be more open to including them in his message about God. Again, in Egypt he would probably be living amongst the poor and accepting charity in order to survive. Jesus would have a first-hand experience on the importance of giving to others and how meaningful it really is.