CNN.com interviewed Jean Claude LaMarre who directed the new movie Color of the Cross, released on October 27th.
Concerning a black Jesus, Mr. LaMarre said:
Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ was "a bit off in terms of the visual representation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ … Everything that we know about that region of the world suggests that Jesus would in fact have been a person of color, probably of darker hue, and definitely Semitic in nature … obviously the images that we have been fed as a Christian community goes against everything that logic points to."
When asked about the role racial motivation played in the crucifixion, Mr. LaMarre answered:
"Understand that in this film, Christ's color is used as a metaphor for his station in life … he was as scripture tells us a member of the disenfranchized … he was a member of an undesirable class … he was a lowly man … if Jesus Christ were black or a darker skinned Jew he would most likely have experienced some of the alienation and the discrimination that the darker skinned people today experience throughout the world …"
Asked about the reaction of white Christians to a dark skinned Jesus, he said:
IF that poses a problem, "you need to look inward and really question what your values are" as Christ was all about inclusion and brotherhood.
What color is your Jesus?
Additional Links: CNN.com article | Official Movie Web Site
Jesus certainly was not a pale-skinned, blond (orange?) hair, blue eye baby as depicted in the bargain basement nativity set I grew-up with. Nor am I certain that he had a great set of abs as depicted in Mel Gibson’s S&M film.
What’s disturbing about the Color of the Cross (besides its blantant pandering to the African-American community) is how selective they were in who was depicted as ‘of color’. There is certainly power to ‘re-imagining’ Jesus in one’s own likeness. However, if you’re going reimagine Jesus, you also have to reimagine Judas and the chief priests as well. The still images on the movie website seem show the chief priests as the stereotypical Jews.
Of course Color of the Cross is hardly the first controversial black portrayal of Christ.
I currently attendThe Well Church and according to the paintings up on our walls, Jesus is BLACK and ANGRY.
The Jesus I know is Latino.
Or at least that’s the Mexican guys name who works at the Tex-Mex Restaurant near my house.
Here is the link I meant to put up.
This is what Jesus looks like, as far as I can tell.
You mean like the Republicans have done in re-imaging Jesus as a Republican? Or the honkies? Or Jesus as a soccer player? Or Jesus as a ballerina?
Jon Lovitz
An Unscrupulous Man:
LOL!!! Unbelievable! They’re like Buddy Christ!
I would be afraid to tackle “running back” Jesus.