I mean the whole damn point of the Nativity story is that the supposed son of God (interpret Jesus how you fucking want, of course) was born to a couple of poor, exhausted peasants in the stable for the inn, and his first bed was a feeding trough for animals. That would nowadays be like a poor couple where the mother gives birth in a parking garage behind the motel because they couldn’t find a better place and nobody else would take them in. It’s a pretty gritty setting, and the idea is that God was reborn in some of the rock-bottom lowest circumstances. The only thing majestic was all the angels and shit, and of course motherly love
I get that a lot of the art portraying Madonna and Child as fabulously wealthy europeans in splendid robes and golden light was meant to glorify God + whichever nobility was sponsoring the artist, and while of course it’s genuinely beautiful art, it just always struck me as horribly missing the point, which is that the supposed son of God started in incredibly humble circumstances, among the kind of people that everyone else looks down on
‘Massacre des Innocents’ by Leon Cogniét, 1824. Although the Feast of the Holy Innocents is in a couple of days time, this painting is still really relevant in that it portrays Mary as how She really was: a scared refugee mum, so fearful that Her son was going to be one of the Innocents killed by King Herod.
everyone: why are recidivism rates so high this is inexplicable everyone: felons aren’t allowed in public housing everyone: felons don’t get food stamps because people with criminal records don’t need food everyone: let’s not hire felons. ever. everyone: let’s require felons to have jobs as a condition of parole everyone: what if we just… take 100% of felons’ income for their fines, parole fees, and child support everyone: felons on parole aren’t allowed to talk to other felons. what do you mean “in this neighborhood most men have a criminal record” I don’t know I can’t read suddenly everyone: felons can’t vote or serve on juries everyone: never mind felons can vote but only if you pay hundreds of dollars in fees. this is not a poll tax because of reasons everyone: WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE COMMITTING CRIMES. IT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE MIND CONTROL PROPERTIES OF SAGGY PANTS
