by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
Last year - or maybe it was the year before - I mentioned some nativity scenes around the country that seemed to be critical of the Trump administration's cruel treatment of immigrants and refugees. Not surprisingly, this year churches are still using nativity scenes to make political statements.
But there is some disagreement about what is and is not political.
The United Methodist Church in Claremont, California, has a nativity display this year that is drawing a great deal of coverage and comment. The display shows the Holy Family separated into three individual cages, each topped with rows of barbed wire. Mary is standing in one cage, Joseph in another, and the Baby Jesus is lying in a cradle in a third cage - between those of his parents. It is a very moving exhibition that is bringing some visitors to tears.
Reverend Karen Clark Ristine, the lead pastor of the church, said that she views the display as "theological" rather than "political." She noted that Jesus and his parents were refugees themselves when they fled to Egypt to avoid Herod's slaughter of male babies. She said that her church was using Holy Family imagery to spark compassion for today's refugees.
Those demanding to see Christ be more pervasive at Christmas may view these particular nativity scenes as overreach. Others, however will disagree and loudly claim that separating family members, caging refugees, and denying health care - such as routine flu shots - to these desperate people is not Christian in any sense of the word.
Jesus may have to return to settle the matter, but with Trump's joke of a border fence, getting into the country shouldn't be too much of a hassle!
Citizen Journalist
Last year - or maybe it was the year before - I mentioned some nativity scenes around the country that seemed to be critical of the Trump administration's cruel treatment of immigrants and refugees. Not surprisingly, this year churches are still using nativity scenes to make political statements.
But there is some disagreement about what is and is not political.
The United Methodist Church in Claremont, California, has a nativity display this year that is drawing a great deal of coverage and comment. The display shows the Holy Family separated into three individual cages, each topped with rows of barbed wire. Mary is standing in one cage, Joseph in another, and the Baby Jesus is lying in a cradle in a third cage - between those of his parents. It is a very moving exhibition that is bringing some visitors to tears.
Reverend Karen Clark Ristine, the lead pastor of the church, said that she views the display as "theological" rather than "political." She noted that Jesus and his parents were refugees themselves when they fled to Egypt to avoid Herod's slaughter of male babies. She said that her church was using Holy Family imagery to spark compassion for today's refugees.
Those demanding to see Christ be more pervasive at Christmas may view these particular nativity scenes as overreach. Others, however will disagree and loudly claim that separating family members, caging refugees, and denying health care - such as routine flu shots - to these desperate people is not Christian in any sense of the word.
Jesus may have to return to settle the matter, but with Trump's joke of a border fence, getting into the country shouldn't be too much of a hassle!
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