Christ Church Cathedral 'Detains' Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Protest of Border Family Separations
The Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis has chosen to put up a rather different Nativity scene early this year. Instead of the typical display that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, this is instead a political statement aimed at the Trump administration's detention of families at the border.
For Rev. Stephen Carlsen, the church's dean and rector, the holy family is an example of a migrant family that also fled violence from their former home. As told in the Bible, Joseph and pregnant Mary fled all the way to Egypt after Herod ordered the slaughter of all infant boys in Bethlehem, as the Washington Post pointed out.
While the blessed virgin gave birth in a humble manger, the Rev. Canon Lee Curtis took some liberties to make this political display as their form of protest against the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy.
The church took out their statues of the holy family, placed them on the church lawn, and surrounded it with a chain link fence for all to see.
In the background, the church has also put up a banner with the hashtag #EveryFamilyIsHoly, as well as the Spanish version of the same phrase.
"We want an end for family detention. Families, all families, every family, is holy, and we hope and pray that families who are seeking out a better life for their kids are afforded that opportunity," Curtis, who came up with the idea, explained to NBC News.
Curtis added that for their congregation, this is an issue that has an immediate impact for them as many of their members are first- or second-generation immigrants themselves.
"This is something that we preach and teach about, and we are partnering with other groups in the state in order to see meaningful reform for detention and deportation," he said, adding that they have supported people through the ICE deportation proceedings as well.
