The Rev. Keith Mozingo is struggling to maintain up his yuletide spirits after the child Jesus that topped his politically charged nativity scene in Los Feliz was stolen.
Mozingo, who preaches on the Founders Metropolitan Group Church on Prospect Avenue had arrange a nativity scene outdoors the church that featured statues of child Jesus, Mary and Joseph perched atop a pile of rubble. Bearing an indication that learn “Palestine Israel Ukraine Sudan,” the scene was designed to remind parishioners and passersby of the wars occurring on the earth.
However a couple of days in the past, Mozingo realized his Jesus had been pilfered.
“Y’all pray… Jesus received kidnapped,” Mozingo posted on Fb, Eastsider L.A. first reported.
Whereas the prayers haven’t but been answered with a returned child Jesus, even Mozingo acknowledged the humor within the state of affairs.
After a neighbor reported that the child statue had been seen close to the church, the pastor needed to go door to door to inform neighbors that Jesus was nonetheless lacking.
The motive behind the theft isn’t clear, however Mozingo is understood for utilizing nativity scenes to make a pointed remark about present affairs.
In 2019, he positioned the Holy Household in cages, portraying Jesus, Mary and Joseph as detained immigrants to protest remedy of migrants on the southern border.
“Folks say, ‘You’re simply making a political assertion, preserve politics out of church,’” Mozingo mentioned. “However this isn’t a political assertion. It’s a humanitarian voice.”
One other 12 months, Mozingo mentioned, Jesus was portrayed as a 2-liter Coke bottle wrapped in swaddling garments, whereas Mary was a drag queen and Joseph was a trans man.
Mozingo, whereas ready for the return of the child, has ordered a brand new Jesus on EBay.
He hopes it should arrive earlier than Christmas.
