Dallas Nativity: Immigration & Homelessness Display | Controversy

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Unconventional Nativity Scene in Dallas Confronts modern Challenges of Faith and Inclusion

A striking Nativity display at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas is sparking conversation and challenging traditional representations of the Christmas story.The scene, unveiled in late October 2025, features silhouettes of Mary and Joseph enclosed by a chain-link fence topped with razor wire, their halos fashioned from repurposed bicycle wheels.

The installation is a deliberate attempt too connect the biblical narrative to contemporary issues of marginalization, according to rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison, the church’s senior pastor. “god is with us, especially on the margins,” she stated, explaining that the display aims to depict what the holy family’s birth might look like in today’s world. A shopping cart and two metal bins – often used as firepits by individuals experiencing homelessness – flank the scene, further emphasizing this connection.

Did you know?– The use of chain-link fence and razor wire in the Nativity scene directly references the barriers faced by asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border,drawing a parallel to the Holy Family’s own displacement.

Reflecting Vulnerability and Displacement

The unconventional materials used in the Nativity scene are not accidental. They are intended to evoke the realities faced by immigrants, refugees, and the unhoused, groups frequently enough living on the periphery of society. Posters bearing lines from the hymn “Holy is the Refugee” – translated into both English and Spanish – proclaim “Holy are the profiled and patrolled” and “Holy are our unsheltered neighbors.”

Griffin-Allison firmly believes the display isn’t introducing politics into the Christmas story, but rather stripping away “filters that maybe made the story feel safe in the first place, as it never was.” She emphasized that Jesus was born into a family that quickly became refugees, highlighting the inherent vulnerability within the original Nativity narrative.

Pro tip:– The hymn “Holy is the refugee” was written in response to the global refugee crisis,and its inclusion in the display underscores the enduring relevance of the Nativity story.

A Response to Political Climate and a Beacon of Inclusion

The church’s decision to install the display was also a direct response to an order from Texas Governor Greg Abbott to remove symbols from crosswalks in cities across the state. In a show of solidarity, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church painted its steps in the colors of the Progress Pride flag.

The installation has resonated with visitors, including Kevin Chadwin Davis and Jonathon Arntson, who traveled from Michigan specifically to see it. “I feel hope. I feel inspired by it. I feel like this is exactly what we need to do – to show up for our people here, especially in this neighborhood,” Davis shared, adding that the display held particular importance for him as he is married to someone who is both HIV-positive and undocumented.

Arntson, who identified as a nonreligious person for 30 years, initially hesitated to visit Texas. Though, he found the Nativity scene unexpectedly moving.”Seeing a Nativity scene that has words that are not in English and seeing the Pride flag represented shows me that even though I still have fears around religious institutions,there are allies in those spaces,” he said.

Reader question:– Why choose a tire for the manger? Rev. Griffin-Allison explains it symbolizes hope arriving even amidst hardship, reflecting the challenging realities faced by many today.

Christmas as a Mirror, Not an Escape

Griffin-Allison views Christmas not as a time for escapism, but as an opportunity for reflection. “There are so many churches in the city of Dallas that you can walk into and receive a gorgeous Christmas service…and for that I’m so grateful,” she acknowledged. “I think there are precious few willing to offer an unsettling story.”

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