There’s a search underway in the town of Ayrshire, Scotland for the Baby Jesus. Someone stole the infant from the manager where he lay sleeping, no crib for his bed.

Alec Kelly, who built the nativity scene out of the kindness of his heart, is downright distraught over the missing Jesus. Kelly said he doesn’t think the thieves have any idea how much work he put into trying to bring some good cheer to the community. He’s baffled at how the crooks got in to steal Jesus given the 6ft high fencing he erected to protect the Blessed Family. Imagine having to practically jail Mary and Joseph just to keep their baby out of the hands of robbers!

This is only the second time in 30 years that crooks have successfully kidnapped Jesus. “I just hope they realize what they’ve done and return Jesus back where he belongs,” Kelly said.

Poor Alec Kelly. I have some sense of how betrayed he feels.

A bunch of ne’er do wells in the US have for all practical purposes kidnapped Jesus here, too.

They keep claiming that Jesus is their Lord and Savior all the while they go about living like the thugs they are. When babies are gunned down in their classrooms, these same people respond by relaxing gun laws so that more violent people have access to more guns.

These people who bring their Bibles and their guns onto the floor of Congress betray the very Jesus they claim to love. They enthusiastically embrace those who stormed the halls of Congress, breaking through barriers, beating police half to death, threatening to kill women and hang men,  and indeed killing some in the process. They waved guns, and yelled obscenities, sent legislators into hiding, raided offices, stole computers, and then bowed their heads and prayed for God’s blessing upon all their evil deeds.

Whatever is left of Jesus’s good name is being totally trashed by the Marjorie Taylor Greenes and Laureen Boeberts and Sean Hannitys and Mark Meadows of the world. These rogues have stolen Jesus and are holding him hostage, and demanding that the masses bow down to them and their one true god – TFG.

They are nothing more than street thugs who are exploiting the Baby Jesus for their own sick pleasures.

It is so disheartening to live among such criminals.

“It’s a  bit of a slap in the face,” Mr. Kelly said.

Indeed.

At a time when we should be kindred spirits of good cheer, full of love for our Creator and the whole of humanity, we are forced instead to confront the reprobates among us.

There’s isn’t a fence tall enough, or a police barrier strong enough to keep out these haters and evildoers who remain intent of stealing Jesus and holding him hostage for their own selfish pursuits.

Karen Spears Zacharias is author of Christian Bend: A Novel (Mercer Univ. Press).