Stealing Jesus

Padlock that baby Jesus before you set him out, or he may be gone. The Chicago Tribune noted rash of Christ-child-nappings in recent weeks.

I did get a kick out of this one in Ohio.



One strange heist in Ohio last year garnered international attention because of its apparent political motivation. Someone made off with the Jesus figurine from the nativity scene of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church outside of Toledo, only to return it weeks later with a coat of brown paint and a note.

"I thought I would point out that Jesus was not an Aryan but actually a man of color," the note read. "Although you probably knew this but would rather not be reminded."

Pastor Roger Miller said the episode, though disturbing, did indeed spark a discussion over Jesus' racial identity. The paint on the infant was so dark that an artist could not return it to its Caucasian tone, so the church decided to give Jesus--along with Joseph and Mary--olive-colored skin.



The Trib noted that some churches have added "high security measures" to protect Jesus from vandals. But Roger Miller from Ohio, has got the right idea. After Jesus came back, he went back into the manger--"there for anybody to take if they want him."