Thieves steal baby Jesus, not Christmas spirit
Posted: Dec 21, 2011 10:36 PM EDT | Updated: Nov 6, 2014 2:56 PM EDT
STEVENSVILLE, Mich. - There might be a Grinch living in Southwest Michigan. Someone stole Christmas from the St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Stevensville. They stole the baby Jesus.
For more than two decades, St. Paul’s has celebrated the birth of Christ the same way every year. “We put it out every year as a reminder of the reason we celebrate Christmas,” said Pastor John Kruschel.
In December a nativity scene decorates the front lawn of the parish but this Christmas week something is missing.
Over the weekend, someone stole Jesus.
“We were hoping the baby Jesus would just simply show up, that someone would return it. Unfortunately it’s been a couple of days and nobody has returned it,” said Kruschel.
Nobody can figure out why someone would want the figurine, or why they would take the chance. Other than the obvious repercussions, the church is in a well lit spot on a busy street.
“To steal the baby Jesus, along with the manger, took some guts. I guess you would say, to do such a thing," said Pastor Kruschel.
It’s not even the first time this has happened in Stevensville. Grace Lutheran Church had a Jesus heist about five years ago but that baby turned up nearby right away.
At St. Paul’s they’re using a replacement Jesus for now. Getting it back would be nice, but Kruschel says isn’t absolutely crucial. “Certainly, because someone stole the Jesus, it isn’t going to deter us from celebrating the birth of Christ,” he said.
St. Paul’s will take the baby Jesus back with no questions asked.