Church’s Nativity Scene Features Bleeding Trayvon Martin to Make Statement About Violence

All the controversies this year about nativity scenes have involved battles with secular groups, but one California church is getting attention for featuring a life-sized Trayvon Martin, blood pouring from his chest, to make a statement about how pervasive violence is in American society. The display was created by production designer John Zachary, who said he wanted to make something provocative to get people to think about “all those that don’t have the privilege to celebrate with us.”

The nativity scene has been on display outside the Claremont United Methodist Church, and Zachary believes the rather graphic display is important to remind people of the everyday senseless violence in American society.

“I think that from our privileged point of view, we’ve come to see the nativity as s representation of something that is comfortable and pleasant and wonderful in our lives, and I want to make it about something in the teachings of––that Jesus would have taught. Something that is thought-provoking, and something that is a contemporary issue about social justice.”

According to The Daily Bulletin, the name of the display is “A Child is Born, a Son is Given,” spelled out in a pool of blood below the figure of Trayvon Martin.

You can watch Zachary explain the nativity scene below:

[photo via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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