A church in Texas has ignited a discussion by unveiling a nativity scene where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are portrayed as present-day immigrants confined in a metal cage surrounded by barbed wire.

Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, located in Dallas, has positioned this striking display on its front steps, which are adorned with rainbow colors.

The scene includes silhouettes of the Holy Family standing behind a chain-link fence, accompanied by signs stating, “Holy is the refugee” and “Holy are the profiled and patrolled.”

Inside the church, another installation presents empty chairs, protest-style placards, and a manger set beneath a wooden board emblazoned with “ICE WAS HERE.” Additional signs pose questions such as “Where is Mary?,” “Where is Joseph?” and “Where is Jesus?”

The outdoor nativity, designed to spotlight migrant and refugee issues, was installed by a Dallas church and depicts the Holy Family behind a chain-link fence.

On December 8, the church officially introduced the display, emphasizing its intention to deliver a thought-provoking and ethical message to the local community.

“Our nativity isn’t a photo-op. It’s a prayer in the shape of a family,” the church wrote on Facebook.

“This year, we set the Holy Family inside the kind of space too many folks sleep in right now — tarps, fencing, harsh wire. Not for shock, but for truth.”

The church framed the scene as an ethical message about migrants and the unhoused. Church leaders said the display is meant to push congregants to reflect on who is being left out this Christmas season.

“If love came into the world through a family with no room to stay, then every unhoused neighbor matters. Every migrant matters. Every family seeking safety matters,” the post reads.

Passers-by were receptive to the depiction and its messaging. 

Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas installed this nativity depicting the Holy Family behind a fence on its rainbow-painted steps as part of a migrant-themed holiday display. (Fox 4 Dallas)

“I think it is a really good commentary on the political issues at hand right now at the border and immigrants being arrested without due process,” said Sean Garman, who lives nearby.

“I think it is a modern interpretation of what the gospel says. Jesus was an immigrant and a migrant,” added Sarah Perkins, who also lives in the area.

Associate Pastor Isabel Marquez said the message behind the nativity was intentional.

“This topic is sending a message to everyone,” Marquez told Fox 4 Dallas. “It is a way to say what is a reality happening here for many people.”

A Dallas church created this immigration-themed nativity scene with signs asking “Where is Mary?” and “Where is Joseph?” as part of its holiday display. (Fox 4 Dallas)

“We are called to be able to walk the journey together as human beings. It’s not saying do more or do less, just treat others as you want to be treated,” Marquez said.

It’s not the first time the church has weighed in on political and social issues.

In October, the church painted its steps in the rainbow colors in an act of solidarity with the LGBTQ community after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all rainbow-decorated crosswalks across the state to be removed within 30 days or risk losing essential funding from the state’s transportation department, per the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a left-wing media monitoring organization

In 2022, the church defied a bishop and appointed two openly gay pastors, according to Fox 4 Dallas.