Left-Wing Church in Illinois Creates Controversial Nativity Scene

A progressive church in Illinois has presented a Nativity scene featuring baby Jesus bound by zip ties, alongside Roman soldiers resembling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Mary and Joseph are depicted wearing gas masks.

Lake Street Church in Evanston mentioned in a recent Facebook post that the display aims to highlight the similarities between the struggles of the Holy Family as refugees and the treatment of contemporary immigrants, reinterpreting the Nativity as a scene marked by forced family separations.

The church explained that the exhibit draws attention to the contrasts between stated religious values and present-day immigration policies. They pointed out that emergency blankets are items typically seen in detention centers. The portrayal of children with zip ties references a recent raid in Chicago where agents zip-tied young children, most of whom were U.S. citizens. It serves as a reminder that enforcement efforts often overlook documentation status.

They also noted that Mary and Joseph’s gas masks symbolize the use of tear gas and other chemical agents by ICE on peaceful protesters and advocates for immigration reform, emphasizing a troubling aspect of the immigration system.

Before expressing that Jesus and his family were refugees, the church expressed a desire for the exhibit to provoke discussions about what sanctuary truly means when families escaping violence face separation and dehumanization.

They stated emphatically that the Holy Family were refugees, asserting this is not merely a political viewpoint but a reality reflected in their traditional narratives. The church aims to reclaim the radical essence of the Christmas story while questioning what it means to celebrate the birth of a refugee child in a world that often marginalizes those in similar positions today.

Some people argue that the characterization of Jesus as a refugee lacks historical accuracy. Dr. Thomas D. Williams noted that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and that his family fled to Egypt to escape King Herod’s decree. They returned to Galilee after Herod’s death, thus spending most of Jesus’s early years there.

Lake Street Church promotes a version of Christianity that embraces diverse perspectives. The church’s spiritual leader is associated with works discussing social justice and engages actively in initiatives against racism, as well as providing educational resources related to various religious traditions.

However, critics have pointed out that the church seems to overlook essential Christian doctrines; it lacks discussions on foundational beliefs such as the Trinity and Jesus’s divinity, which can feel somewhat contradictory to traditional Christian teachings.

The church is also involved in numerous social justice initiatives, which include programs aimed at supporting immigrant families facing asylum processes. Since becoming a “sanctuary church” in 2014, it has taken an active role in offering assistance to detained migrants.