Church’s Nativity Scene Depicts Jesus, Mary, And Joseph As A Family Separated At The Border

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Claremont United Methodist Church modified its Christmas nativity scene into a powerful statement about family separation by caging their figures of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and releasing a theological statement on the United States’ treatment of refugees.

A Facebook post by Senior Minister Karen Clark Ristine includes a picture of the nativity and the aforementioned statement, which encourages onlookers to “consider the most well-known refugee family in the world.” The statement continues:

Shortly after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary were forced to flee with their young son from Nazareth to Egypt to escape King Herod, a tyrant. They feared persecution and death.
What if this family sought refuge in our country today?

Clark Ristine also wrote that the church building contains a second set of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph figures depicting the family’s reunion.

Stirred to tears by the Claremont UMC nativity. Inside the church, the Holy Family is reunited. The theological…

Posted by Karen Clark Ristine on Saturday, December 7, 2019

The minister’s Facebook post has gone moderately viral, with thousands of comments praising or excoriating the church’s choice to use their nativity to reflect on the current situation at the U.S. border.