In the German Woken capital Berlin, the Protestant Church has its own ideas about the Gospel and the event of the birth of Jesus Christ. A queer-feminist couple is pregnant together.
Inhalt / Content
A new view of the birth of Jesus Christ
As doubtful as the Christmas ritual around December 25th is (Info), since the birth of Jesus Christ could not have taken place during this time of year, the ceremonies on this occasion are now “extravagant”. Particularly in the “woken” capital of the federal territory of Berlin, the Protestant Church is now going its own way.
Queer feminist nativity play
The nativity play, which is traditional in many places, depicts the birth of Jesus Christ. Present are Joseph, Mary, three wise men from the Orient known as kings and, probably as decoration, a selection of different animals. The Berlin-Stadtmitte Evangelical Church District would like to set a special example for this occasion in 2023 and is organizing a nativity play with a “queer-feminist” background on Christmas Eve. This “performance” takes place in the Galilee Church in Berlin-Friedrichshain, as the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO) reported.
“The diversity of life forms”
This nativity play is carried out by the “Feminist Berlin Choir” and the “Performance Collective Heart Choir”. With this in-house creation of traditional games, the aim is to appeal in particular to people “who are excluded from the traditional image of the Christmas nuclear family and therefore often spend this evening alone.” The aim is to address this by presenting diversity and diverse ways of life. “A queer nativity play fits perfectly into our time and our city,” says the superintendent of this nativity play. In order to “make clear the content of our faith,” new and contemporary forms must be continually developed.
A couple “pregnant with Jesus”
In this nativity play it is not Mary and Joseph who play, but rather “Marie” and “Josy”. Both are a “female-read” couple from a rural region. This loving couple becomes “unexpectedly pregnant”. The emphasis here is on “a pregnant couple”, i.e. both. A collective pregnancy, so to speak. The “jointly pregnant couple” is afraid of rejection and there is no help from others. That’s why the “pregnant couple” went to the big city in search of community and a new home. But even there, many doors are closed. The “pregnant couple” finally finds a place to stay and gives birth to the child. Whatever this may look like
After the end of this nativity play, visitors can enjoy a shared meal and a drag show. Pastor Jasmin El-Manhy is available to distribute a Christmas blessing.
This idea is financed by the church’s innovation fund. Possibly filled with church tax money from its members.
Idiosyncratic understanding of the gospel
El-Manhy comes from a family with a Catholic mother and a Muslim father. She studied Protestant theology and was baptized at the age of 19 (Source). She is in charge of the “Runway” project she initiated at the Church of Galilee in Berlin-Neukölln. The aim is to “live the faith in forms that have not yet been tested” (Source). This is primarily intended to counteract the high number of people leaving the church (Info).
The pastor’s aim is to “find the space between religions, between spiritualities”. The “Runway” project is therefore open to people “who are looking for a transcendent relationship that they may not even call God.” The structures need to be much more flexible, said the pastor. “Faith is not there to provide security.” Rather, trust must be found in order to achieve new things.
The faith or any faith?
The apostle John described the purpose of his gospel in John 20:31:
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.“
The emphasis here is on “that believing” and thus the only true faith as written from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. Not just any belief in anything.
Various “modern” Bible editions have already removed this essential statement “that believing”, such as the “New Evangelistic Translation (NeÜ, German Bible)”. It now says “you as believers”.
Jesus Christ Himself asked whether He would still find “faith” when He returned, Luke 18:8:
“I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?“
This statement, too, has now been mutilated by “modern” German Bibles. The “Good News Bible” transforms “faith” into “faithfulness” (Info).
Jesus Christ will certainly find great faith among humanity when He returns. But whether it is a question of “the faith” can be doubted. The abundance of action of this Protestant church and its representatives is “the proof”.
Bible verses from King James Version