A 21st-Century Exodus

One of last Sundayâ??s prescribed readings for the Church of England was from the book of Exodus. Up and down the country, churchgoers will have heard how the people of Israel had escaped from political oppression in Egypt and were on their way to the promised land. In this 40 years of wandering â?? often vulnerable, cold and feeling unwelcome â?? they built a so-called â??tent of meetingâ? for God. It was, the Bible says, located just outside of the camp. As the C of E faithful listened, I wonder how many made the imaginative link with Calais? There, Ethiopian and Eritrean Christians stuck in the portâ??s â??jungleâ? camp have used the materials at hand to build a church to worship in as they await their uncertain fate.