Monday, December 9, 2019

Pic Of The Season -- 'Tis No Reason To Be Jolly



A Nativity scene at Claremont United Methodist Church depicts the Holy Family separated as refugees in cages.
(The Rev. Karen Clark Ristine)

News item: "A Methodist church in Claremont unveiled a Nativity scene Saturday night depicting Jesus, Mary and Joseph as refugees in cages, likening one of the most well-known images of the Christmas season to photos that have become synonymous with criticism of the Trump administration’s border separation policies.

"The display, which has stoked debate on the Facebook page of the church’s lead pastor, shows classic Nativity figurines of Joseph and Mary in cages on either side of a cage containing the manger of Jesus.

“'We see this as, in some ways, the Holy Family standing in for the nameless families,” said the Rev. Karen Clark Ristine, the lead pastor at Claremont United Methodist Church. “We’ve heard of their plight; we’ve seen how these asylum seekers have been greeted and treated. We wanted the Holy Family to stand in for those nameless people because they also were refugees.'”

(h/t MBouffant)