California church replaces baby Jesus with Trayvon Martin in nativity scene

Jesus is the reason for the season, as some would say, and church lawns all across the nation were lit up with nativity scenes featuring baby Jesus but one church decided to do things differently this year.

Instead of baby Jesus laying in the manger, the nativity scene at Claremont United Methodist Church featured a depiction of Trayvon Martin slumped over in his hoodie, a pool of his blood spreading over a bed of straw.

The LA Times reports that the nativity scene was the creation of congregant and artist John Zachary.

Zachary says he decided to feature Martin to stir community conversation and "draw a parallel between rampant gun violence and the dark time in which Jesus was born." He came up with the concept over the summer.

Zachary had this to say of Martin:

"He was, in my view, an innocent child like the innocent children killed by King Herod. I think the Nativity has to be relevant to our time. I think Jesus is a symbol of hope and I think he has to be seen in today's context."

While Zachary's artwork may have been done with good intentions, some members of the Southern California church don't agree.

"How sad to replace the Savior in the nativity scene," one person posted on Facebook. "What kind of church is this??? I pray that you will understand the real reason for the season..."

Others, like 22-year-old film student Matthew Law-Phipps, saw it as more political than personal saying, "It's very blatant. Subtlety isn't at work here.... I will say, it got our attention."