21 Dec, 2009
Black Nativity Angers Italy's "White Christmas" Party
ROME (Reuters) - A nativity scene featuring a dark-skinned Jesus, Mary and Joseph that has gone on display in a Verona courthouse has created heated debate in a city with strong links to Italy's anti-immigration Northern League party.
The nativity's appearance coincides with the League's controversial operation "White Christmas," a two-month sweep ending on Christmas Day to ferret out foreigners without proper permits in Coccaglio, a small League-led town east of Milan.
The Christmas scene -- featuring a dark-skinned baby Jesus dressed in a red shirt and lying in a manger -- was the idea of Mario Giulio Schinaia, the chief Public Prosecutor in Verona.
"History teaches us that baby Jesus and his parents were very probably dark-skinned," Schinaia told Reuters. "This nativity belongs to a universal Christmas tradition that brings together the whole of Christianity in celebration."
The nativity has caused heated reactions in the rich northern town, where resentment toward foreigners has spread as the number of immigrants, particularly from north Africa and eastern Europe, continues to rise.
"It is a useless act of provocation, just like the suggestion not to have a nativity scene at all, in order not to offend Muslims," Northern League farm minister Luca Zaia told one paper, referring to proposals in recent years that town halls and stores should no longer sponsor Christmas scenes.
"Magistrates have other problems to deal with: I hope they spend as much time thinking about lawsuits and trials," he said.The Northern League, an ally of conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with key cabinet posts including the interior ministry, has used its growing political clout to secure tough new laws including making illegal immigration a crime.
League proposals have ranged from separate buses and trains for immigrants to banning new mosques and forbidding the serving of Chinese food and kebabs in towns under its control.Schinaia defended his black nativity scene, saying it was not intended to be polemical but to encourage debate.
"There shouldn't be a white or black Christmas, only a merry Christmas for everyone, of every skin color, ethnic background and nationality."
Story taken from reuters.com and photo taken from images.google.com.
Read Philippians 2:5-11
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Don't get pulled into the wrong arguments. The devil often wants us to focus on trivial and unimportant discussions that take our focus off Christ and onto issues that lead us away from God's power. Today's story is a perfect example.
Scholars, historians, and theologians have debated for centuries to the nature of Christ's skin color. Undoubtedly, being from the Middle East, it wasn't totally white. But again, is that the real point of God becoming man? To become man He had to come with a particular pigmentation and that would leave many skin colors out. But again, who cares?!
The real power and beauty of Christmas is that God became man! He could of chose to be black, tan, white, green or purple for that matter. The ruler of the universe humbled Himself and became like us so that we could enjoy a relationship with God the Father. If you have ears to hear this and meditate on the wonder of that fact this Christmas season.
- Do you often get caught up in trivial arguments and petty conversations during the day (I know I do!)? What is the usual result?
- Meditate on the passage above this week and explore the wonder of God becoming man. As you prepare for Christmas focus on the importance of God doing this and the difference it might make in your life everyday.
During this Christmas week pray for the opportunity to share with at least one person the real meaning of Christmas - that God became man. Like the wise men who came to honor Jesus' birth, honor Him with holy conversations and reverance for the beauty of God becoming man.
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