Depictions of Christ
One expression of racism is our tendency to imagine that God is "just like us." Images of Christ and biblical people reveal this. Blond, blue-eyed, very white-faced depictions of Jesus dominate most Western Christian stained glass and paintings. Some European traditions even depicted the devil as black. This reinforces racism.
It's good to see Jesus and other biblical characters as African, Caucasian, Asian, Latino and as native people throughout the world. Such depictions reveal the depth and variety of the church's experience of its Savior, enabling the wide diversity of people to understand themselves as part of the ongoing story of God's love and redemption of the world.
Music and other cultural traditions also need to reflect the richness of God's creation. The liturgy in its ancient and global form provides room for all. It's basic enough to root us in heritage and elastic enough to include all colors, hues, languages and various images of God.
We aren't to keep oppressing one another, "to make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of one another" (Acts 15:l0). The gospel, as witnessed in the early church, calls us to work to become an inclusive church. In Acts 15 we read of the church's struggle to cross the line between Gentiles and Jews and include those who had been excluded. This required conflict. The struggle to include all those whom God has called continues to evoke disagreement and conflict.
God formed amazing richness of life, color and gifts. We are not called merely to tolerate but to celebrate each other and the gifts we bring. In Jesus Christ we can repent and receive forgiveness for our ongoing dilemma of distrust and hatred. We have been reconciled to become a reconciling people that all may hear — in their native tongue, music, art and those of others — God's mighty works (Acts 2:11).
The Lutheran, February 2000
Since You Asked, by Norma and Burton Everist