Every year, Baby Jesus’ all across the country go missing from their mangers, usually at the hands of some misguided (and intoxicated) teenager. Baby Jesus, however, is wising up and hoping to stay put.
Brickhouse Security, the company that made a security system specially for Airbnb hosts, is offering free GPS tracking devices to any church that wants one for sweet Baby Jesus. The company has been offering the program for years, and every year demand grows as churches spread the word.
BrickHouse Security CEO Todd Morris says, “At some point, almost every church that has a nativity scene has a problem. How do you explain to kids showing up for Sunday School that someone stole Baby Jesus?” He says the company has plenty GPS trackers to spare during midwinter when the hundreds that get rented out for events like the Indianapolis 500 aren’t in use.
A tracker is secured inside Baby Jesus, and when the manger is rustled motion sensors awake and send an alert to the clergy. Then, if the baby is moved beyond a preset geo-fence, the clergy receives another alert that Baby Jesus is on the move and can follow him on a map or call police. It’s not uncommon for the pastor to already know which kids live in which homes, and recovery by home visit is most common.
According to Morris, “We had one pastor who saw the dot on the map and knew whose house it was and what teenager lived there. When the parents opened the door, he just said ‘I’m here for Baby Jesus.”