Sandy Banks: Nativity scene with Jesus, Mary and Joseph in cages makes people uncomfortable. But that's the point
LOS ANGELES - It didn't surprise the locals when Claremont United Methodist Church unveiled its annual outdoor Nativity scene this week. In keeping with its spiritual leanings and activist traditions, this was no tender Christ-child-in-the-manger tableau.
Instead, Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus had been separated and locked up in individual chain-link pens, topped by barbed wire fencing.
What shocked people in this suburban LA County college town was what happened next: An image of the scene posted online by the Rev. Karen Clark Ristine ricocheted across the country. Propelled by social media, it was showcased by virtually every major media outlet and drew a mix of outrage and applause.
The Nativity scene was intended to reflect the plight of immigrants and asylum seekers whose families were separated on our southern border - a
