Dallas church sparks debate with caged immigrant nativity scene display
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A church in Texas is sparking controversy after erecting a nativity scene depicting Mary, Joseph and Jesus as modern-day immigrants locked in a metal cage wrapped in barbed wire.
A rainbow-colored display has been installed on the front steps of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas.
The exhibition features silhouettes of the Holy Family standing behind fences, with banners reading “The refugee is sacred” and “He who is profiled and patrolled is sacred.”
The second installation inside the church features empty chairs, protest-style signs and a manger beneath a wooden board that reads “THE ICE WAS HERE.” Additional signs inside read “Where is Mary?”, “Where is Joseph?” and “Where is Jesus?” Questions like these are asked.
A church in Dallas installed an outdoor nativity scene depicting the Holy Family behind a chain-link fence to draw attention to immigrant and refugee issues. (Fox 4Dallas)
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The church announced that the exhibition would open on December 8, claiming that the exhibition sent a provocative and moral message to society.
“Our birth is not a photo shoot. It is a prayer in the form of a family,” the church wrote. Facebook.
“This year we placed the Holy Family in the kind of area where many people sleep now – awnings, fences, hard wire. Not for shock, but for reality.”
The church framed the scene as an ethical message about immigrants and the homeless. Church leaders said the show aims to push congregations to think about who is left out this Christmas season.
“If love came into the world through a family with no place to stay, then every homeless neighbor matters. Every immigrant matters. Every family seeking safety matters,” the post reads.
Passersby were positive about the depiction and the messages it conveyed.
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Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas placed this nativity painting depicting the Holy Family behind a fence on rainbow-painted steps as part of an immigrant-themed holiday display. (Fox 4Dallas)
“I think this is a really good commentary on the political issues that exist at the border right now and the detention of immigrants without due process,” said Sean Garman, who lives nearby.
“I think it’s a modern interpretation of what the gospel says. Jesus was an immigrant and an immigrant,” added Sarah Perkins, who also lives in the area.
Associate Pastor Isabel Marquez said the message behind the birth was intentional.
“This issue sends a message to everyone,” Marquez told Fox 4 Dallas. “It’s a way of saying what the reality is that’s happening here for a lot of people.”
A church in Dallas displayed this immigration-themed nativity scene with the slogan “Where is Mary?” He created it with signs asking: and “Where is Joseph?” as part of the holiday show. (Fox 4Dallas)
“We are called to walk this journey together as humans. This doesn’t mean do more or less, just treat others as you would want to be treated yourself,” Marquez said.
This is not the first time the church has focused on political and social issues.
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In October, the church painted its steps rainbow colors in solidarity with the LGBTQ community after Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered rainbow-decorated crosswalks across the state to be removed within 30 days. Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a left-wing media watchdog organization
In 2022, the church challenged a bishop and appointed two openly gay priests. Fox 4Dallas.
