Will you make room for him this Christmas?
That’s the question Wesley Mission is asking this year with our nativity campaign. While most nativity displays you might see at a shopping centre or church will feature the traditional image of Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus resting in a manger, this year, we’re depicting a young couple living out of their car.
“Christmas is a time where we show a lot of love to our families and friends,” says campaign lead Sara Mancini.
“But we want people to think about loving those who are most in need as well, just like Jesus did. So we thought we could introduce the faith aspect of Christmas into our message on homelessness.”
The team behind the campaign found a natural starting point in the gospel of Luke, in which Joseph and Mary are turned away from the guest rooms of Bethlehem, and forced to give birth in a manger.
“That aspect of the Christmas story still exists today,” says Sara. “Young families coping with homelessness still struggle to find safe places to take care of their children—things haven’t changed as much as we might hope.”
The nativity display is currently installed at the entrance to the Wesley Centre, positioned to catch the eyes of people who are planning to spend time with their loved ones this festive season. It’s our hope that they’ll think about ‘making room for him’ this year: both Jesus Christ, whom Christmas is truly about, and those struggling with homelessness, who may not have the opportunity to experience the joyful Christmas that the rest of us do.
You’re welcome to visit the installation at the Wesley Centre on 220 Pitt St, Sydney, and tell us what Christmas means to you by hanging a tag on our Christmas tree.