(ThyBlackMan.com) As I watching television last night, the station continually showed these pictures of the person they said was Jesus. The thing that got me was that every picture they showed was a picture of a blond haired, blue eyed Jesus. This really began to play with my psyche a bit. I wondered to myself if most white evangelical Christians would really serve a Jesus if he was depicted to them as black. Now the Bible as well as other articles have always clearly shown that he could not be a person with white skin. But it is amazing to me that everyone shows that he is a white guy with blue eyes.
I remember watching Good Times and seeing this played out on the screen. JJ had painted a black Jesus and Micheal hung it in the house. When Florida came home and saw the picture she went loony. She said this is the only Jesus she knew that being the white Jesus. This is really how it is in many of the black households. Rather we want to accept it or not Jesus is depicted as a white man. We role with bit and say it doesn’t matter if he is black or white, he is still Lord. But I wonder if that is really true. The Willie Lynch theory is a massive undertaking that has really rocked the black community for years and still has a lasting effect. I know older folks who will not hire blacks to do anything. But in retrospect they love Barack. So to have a black Jesus would be a hard thing to swallow.
As for my white brother and sisters, I wonder how they would take it as well. If we found out today at 2:00 that Jesus was definitely a black dude with dreadlocks how would they receive that news. It would be a hard thing to call a black a nigger after that bit of information. I am not inquiring that all whites call blacks niggers but it would be like me saying that I have never called a white person a cracker. We both have done it and when the moment gets heated enough will probably do it again if not careful. But my point is can white America really bow to a Jesus that is black. I wonder would all the churches throughout America take down the pictures of the white Jesus and place pictures of the black Jesus.
I do not think it will happen because deep down an inferior complex would arise and I do not think they can handle it. White evangelical pastors really would be lost if this happen. Would RC Sproul really be able to pontificate with such vigor if he saw the black Jesus? Could Johnathan Edwards really have stood before people and made claims of Christ knowing he had people enslaved at his crib that looked just like Jesus? So I understand the plight of the Black Liberation Theology. I do not agree with most of it but I understand why it came. When an oppressed people have an opportunity to experience freedom you must believe that they will do all they can to stay free.
I am sure that our churches would change because people interpretation would change. If all the evangelicals would look in their scriptures and see that all the writers of the bible were black or of a darker pigment. The apostles, Paul and Abraham if they were black, how then do you get whites to relate to them. It is easy to serve a God you can relate to but can you relate to a God that you have no desire to because of his skin tone.
So if you can’t insert a black Jesus into you Jesus structure and have the same relationship with him as you do now. You may want to eat some carpet, that means pray.
Staff Writer; Brian Foulks
More articles can be found over at Mr. Folks personal website; Brian Foulks.
I love this image. Do you know the artist? I’ve used it at our church and would love to attribute it to the right person.
I think you’re right. Jesus’ race is part of how we see him – but I wonder if the issue is less “What race was Jesus in real life” and “How is Whiteness part of Jesus’ image in our culture?” Because Jesus is almost always White, in America, Africa, Asia… But I can’t imagine churches universally replacing their images of Christ, although I wish we had more of a variety of images. Why not Korean Christ? Navajo Christ? Brazilian Christ?
I like this image of Christ: http://www.janetmckenzie.com/joppage1.html
Wasn’t Jesus an arabian type? Neither Negroid nor caucasian? He wasn’t white with blue eyes that’s for sure. He was described as bronzed. A golden brown. It doesn’t really matter one way or the other, you can’t see him anyway. All of these images are just icons that depict a false identity of what Jesus actually looked like and who he was. It seems to me like it is mental mostly. I always picture Jesus as someone who looks like me, a positive where as I am a negative. He looks like everybody.
Race isn’t really the question. If you really understand the Gospel & Christ’s Holiness & our sinfulness you’ll eagerly bow to Christ. America (and all the world) will have to bow when he returns as it says in Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11 & Philippians 2:10-11. It’ll be a glorious day when we meet our Savior face to face.
When you close your eyes in prayer, do you really think about what Jesus looks like? I agree that Jesus would have to have had color based on his location and that the picture that most commonly represents Jesus has to be completely inaccurate. But, if we are all made in the image of God, might we not be viewing the face of Jesus when we look into the mirror everyday. I think that what Jesus looks like to me may not be what he looks like to anyone else, be they black or white. Look at another way, historically, if ever a people had a right to absolutely hate the image of a white Jesus, its black people. However, most black people have no problem loving that white image because we have come to accept it. I tend to think that white people would similarly loving a black image of Jesus if ever they could come to accept it, and some most likely could accept it.
Interesting article…Yes, I would be able to serve a black Jesus, it really doesn’t matter to me what color Jesus is, but what he came and did for me…Christ paid a debt He didnt owe to satisfy a debt we couldnt pay…And I will always be grateful for that, no matter what the good Lord looks like…And being that He was from that side of the world, I have always pictured him with more olive toned skin and darker features anyhow. God Bless UR steps~*
The bible clearly describes Jesus of a couple millennium ago(two thousand years)as a man of melanin/color. Actual Facts!