(Note: I love Janet McKenzie's work in general and have a prayer card with the Jesus picture on my altar)
There was quite a stir when it was chosen in the National Catholic Reporter Jesus 2000 competition.
Maybe it's where I grew up but the image of a Black Jesus was part of my childhood. Not necessarily in church windows but definitely on greeting cards from Black owned companies (along with Black Santas and angels). But then I grew up during the 70s so that might have a lot to do with it. People were like, "Hair like lambs wool. He's gotta be Black."
No, I had not seen that! It's pretty awesome. I can imagine that there was a stir in the NCR, though, I expect that sort of thing. Again, considering where I grew up, ahaha, we totally got the white Jesus images at my Catholic school. Funnily (or sadly) enough, I recall getting a picture of Jesus that we were supposed to color in, and I made him white. I did give him brown hair, though (not sure what color I made his eyes ;)).
Well...according to the 13th apostle, Rufus, Jesus *was* black. ;o) Then again, God was a woman too.
On a more serious note, I've always wondered why people can be so adamant that Jesus was white as opposed to any other colour. All this stuff happened nearly 2007 years ago, I don't suppose there are too many people from back then that are hanging around yet. We don't know what colour anyone was back then, do we? Everyone could have been black, or Asian or Aboriginal but how would we know? Once "white" became the preferred colour of choice, everything would have been reworked to reflect that, don't you think? But I've also always wondered how in the glorious green fields, Cain could be sent to another village with the mark of a murderer on him when there were only 4 people in existance at that time. Or were the rest of the people that God made just not important enough to be written about? In which case, dammit. I wanna hear about Susie and George, their 5 children and their next door neighbour, Frank, who I'm sure was guilty of covetness against Susie. That's where the first soap opera's came from, you know.
Well, everyone wants Jesus to look like them, so I understand it. The "white" man has been in power for so long that that is the image of Jesus that's been appropriated most often. But if you go to Asian countries, Jesus is Asian. In Africa, Jesus is a black man. I've seen gorgeous art of the Madonna and Child where Mary and the baby Jesus are black. I've just never seen an actual movie where Jesus and all the major players in the New Testament are portrayed by black actors. It seems pretty cool.
In my Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults classes (the ... three I attended before dropping out), we talked about what Jesus may have actually looked like, and the consensus was, being a 1st century Middle Eastern/Palestinian man, he was probably a lot closer to Osama Bin Laden in looks than Brad Pitt, you know?
I love the old Biblical stories. What with the magic and incest and just plain debauchery. Lot has sex with his daughters! News at 11!
When I was a young girl (10 or so) in the 1950s, my air force father was stationed in Japan and we were with him. One day mom and I ran across a Japanese illustration of Jesus, he was very much a Japanese man. I questioned mom and she said that Jesus was all things to all people and that he would, of course, be Japanese for the Japanese people. It made sense to me then and it still does.
I love my good friend's all black nativity scene, I know that for some whites this seems strange, but for me it is somehow very reassuring.
Heheh yes! Exactly. I don't see why anyone should feel threatened or offended by portrayals of Jesus as anything other than white. It seems kind of dodgy to be that possessive of his physical image. The Bible says he had hair like wool, man. Do the math. ;)
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-28 12:14 am (UTC)(Note: I love Janet McKenzie's work in general and have a prayer card with the Jesus picture on my altar)
There was quite a stir when it was chosen in the National Catholic Reporter Jesus 2000 competition.
Maybe it's where I grew up but the image of a Black Jesus was part of my childhood. Not necessarily in church windows but definitely on greeting cards from Black owned companies (along with Black Santas and angels). But then I grew up during the 70s so that might have a lot to do with it. People were like, "Hair like lambs wool. He's gotta be Black."
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-28 06:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-28 12:56 am (UTC)On a more serious note, I've always wondered why people can be so adamant that Jesus was white as opposed to any other colour. All this stuff happened nearly 2007 years ago, I don't suppose there are too many people from back then that are hanging around yet. We don't know what colour anyone was back then, do we? Everyone could have been black, or Asian or Aboriginal but how would we know? Once "white" became the preferred colour of choice, everything would have been reworked to reflect that, don't you think? But I've also always wondered how in the glorious green fields, Cain could be sent to another village with the mark of a murderer on him when there were only 4 people in existance at that time. Or were the rest of the people that God made just not important enough to be written about? In which case, dammit. I wanna hear about Susie and George, their 5 children and their next door neighbour, Frank, who I'm sure was guilty of covetness against Susie. That's where the first soap opera's came from, you know.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-28 06:35 pm (UTC)In my Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults classes (the ... three I attended before dropping out), we talked about what Jesus may have actually looked like, and the consensus was, being a 1st century Middle Eastern/Palestinian man, he was probably a lot closer to Osama Bin Laden in looks than Brad Pitt, you know?
I love the old Biblical stories. What with the magic and incest and just plain debauchery. Lot has sex with his daughters! News at 11!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-28 01:32 am (UTC)I love my good friend's all black nativity scene, I know that for some whites this seems strange, but for me it is somehow very reassuring.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-28 06:36 pm (UTC)