As the lights go up and the carols fill the air, the Christmas season inevitably brings us back to the Nativity — the greatest story ever told: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born 2,000 years ago in the humblest of circumstances, coming to earth to change the world. For believers, it’s not just a quaint tale; it’s the hinge of history. It is central to our faith and the way we live our lives.

Yet every year, a familiar pattern emerges: Those who openly reject God and spend much of the year mocking Christianity suddenly claim Christmas as their platform to inject political messages through a progressive reinterpretation of the sacred story. They twist the account of Christ’s birth into commentary on contemporary issues like immigration, the patriarchy, oppression, or power structures.

TikTok videos and social media posts flood the internet during the holiday season, claiming that if Jesus were born today, conservative values would somehow threaten His very existence, and using their woke spin on the story as proof.

For example, some argue that Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to comply with the Roman census makes them akin to modern immigrants or refugees. In this view, today’s conservatives — who advocate for enforcing legal borders and deporting those who enter a country illegally — would reject the Holy Family, thereby turning away the very person (Jesus Christ) whose teachings they claim to follow.

As such, left-wing pastors have put this interpretation on display across the country. These particular brands of church Nativity scenes feature a zip-tied baby Jesus figure and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents standing over Mary and Joseph.

In another corner of the world, the Nativity scene was used to send a message about inclusivity. In Brussels’ historic Grand Place, interior decorator Victoria-Marie Gayer created a display in which Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and other figures at the manger were deliberately left faceless. The idea was to allow viewers to see themselves reflected in the Holy Family. As one member of the design team explained, it was “an inclusive combination of all skin tones, so that everyone can see themselves reflected in these figures.”

Visitors, however, did not appreciate the exhibit, calling it “excessive modernization” and largely expressing a preference for the more traditional version of events.

Other progressive interpretations of the Christmas story focus on Mary herself. Some argue that, given her unplanned pregnancy, modern conservatives would have forced her to give birth while shaming her for being unmarried. Others suggest that if Mary, as a woman in desperate circumstances, had sought help, conservatives would have blamed her for not taking precautions and denied her any assistance. Left unsaid is that most progressives would tell Mary to abort the Holy Child in her womb.

These varied progressive interpretations of the Christmas story ultimately aim to portray Christians — particularly conservatives — as heartless and hypocritical. By reimagining the Nativity in modern terms, they seek to reinforce the notion that conservative Christians fail to live up to the values they profess, and that the policies they support today would leave even the central figures of the faith, like Mary and the infant Jesus, to suffer.

In reality, these reinterpretations only underscore what is already evident: those advancing them demonstrate a profound misunderstanding of the Bible and the values and principles taught by Jesus Christ, relying instead on willful ignorance to bolster their arguments.

Repeatedly throughout Scripture, Christians are taught to be honest, to live righteously, and to obey the law. We are commanded not to steal, not to covet, and to demonstrate honor. In Romans 13:9, Paul talks about subjecting ourselves to governing authorities: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. … Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.”

When it comes to how Christians treat outsiders and the needy, Scripture is unambiguous. Matthew 25:35 says, “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink… I was a stranger, and ye took me in.”

An important point of truth in Christ’s teachings is that Jesus never commanded us to break the law; He commanded us to follow Him, and out of that obedience flows compassionate action. That distinction matters. It means love for neighbor does not equate to lawlessness.

Other Scriptures reinforce this biblical balance. In 1 Peter 2:13-14, believers are instructed to submit themselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, acknowledging the rightful role of civil authority. Christians throughout history have championed care for the poor, widows, and orphans — yet they have also respected lawful order and social stability.

Attempts to turn Jesus into a poster child for today’s immigration debates, or to make Mary some kind of modern feminist hero, basically turn the Nativity into a social-justice skit instead of letting it be about the real spiritual depth and historical meaning of Christ’s birth. All of these politicized manger scenes and hot takes on what Mary was “really” dealing with end up weaponizing Christmas and cheapening something that is profoundly meaningful to believers (and, honestly, pretty significant even to non-believers as well).

The Left’s accusations of hypocrisy, often woven into their commentary on the Christmas story, are simply not backed by the facts. Studies confirm that those who earnestly follow these biblical teachings demonstrate higher levels of charitable giving and practical service to others.

One study published in the National Library of Medicine, examining the relationship between political affiliation and charitable giving, found that while donation patterns vary across different scenarios, political conservatives are significantly more charitable than liberals.

The idea that modern feminists would uphold Mary over traditional conservatives is also a stretch. In the Nativity story, Mary is a young woman humbled by God’s call, choosing obedience over convenience and willingly enduring hardship so that Jesus might live. Her selflessness embodies the heart of Christian motherhood — and perhaps the essence of Christian discipleship itself: placing the well-being of others above oneself.

Ultimately, the Christmas narrative isn’t about a modern ideological agenda. It’s about redemption, obedience to God, and living out a love that extends to all — without forsaking moral and civil order. The timeless message of that silent night in Bethlehem transcends transient political battles, calling every heart to repentance, compassion, and worship of the newborn King.