Is Divine Image Important?
Many of us have grown up with images of a white Jesus with light brown hair and blue eyes without giving it much thought. But in actuality Jesus, from the Middle East, had brown skin. Why do we have a hard time recognizing Jesus in Black and brown bodies?
I recently participated in a virtual conversation entitled “White Supremacy and American Christianity” between Fr. Bryan Massengale, a Black Catholic priest and moral theologian, and Dr. Robert Jones, an academic. Fr. Massengale said that if you imagine God the Father in heaven as white, it is likely that you think white men should be in power on earth.
Embracing Black and brown images of the divine and Mary, like the one above, help us see Christ in our brothers and sisters of color.
If you are interested in joining our Racial Justice Ministry Team, please contact Joan.