Vanilla Jesus
There are many things in life that I don’t understand. I don’t understand the purpose of the church (I know! I’m a pastor, but I struggle with church). I don’t understand why Jesus is almost always portrayed as a beautiful white man… even by non- whites. Finally, I don’t understand why Christians are driven and motivated by fear rather than love. It seems completely contrary to the gospel that we claim to uphold.
I’ll leave my struggle with the church for a different post, but I will attempt to discuss the other two.
First, why is Jesus almost always portrayed as a beautiful white man? I’ve been into a few protestant African American homes and most times; if they had an image of Christ in their home it was a copy of Warner Sallman’s Head of Christ. I don’t understand why? I’ve been into many Korean- American homes and I’ve seen the exact same image of Christ hanging above the fireplace or somewhere in the house where it would be noticed. If it wasn’t Sallman’s Head of Christ it was a picture Sallman’s Christ at Heart’s Door… same Jesus, different painting.
Most people I’ve talked to are quick to say the same thing that the Ethiopian Protestant described by David Morgan in his book The Sacred Gaze said. When talking about icons and paintings he was quick to say that “the Christ of faith does not does not have a look” (P73) I think most protestants would agree with him. The Christ of faith does not have a look… really? I think that the popularity of Warner Sallman’s work speaks volumes against us. Christ does have a look, and we’ve embraced it… and the world has embraced it even if somewhere deep in our hearts we think that it might be the wrong image. In the heads of many Christians, Christ is a white man. How sad! Why is it sad? I feel like by making Jesus a white man we’ve taken away the universality of the gospel and made it seem like it was white man’s gift to the world when in fact it was God’s gift to the universe. If we preach a white Jesus, we preach an American Jesus… and an American Jesus is an idol that doesn’t exist.
Second, I don’t understand why Christians are driven and motivated by fear rather then love. “[…] The motivating force behind the destructive response to images is typically fear: fear of what images might do if left to themselves. Often it is fear of what they represent.” (P141) For Calvin, “it was not the images themselves that he feared, but the powerful human inclination to turn such images into idols in the context of religious worship… problem resides in human nature.” (P142)
Fear comes out of our desire to control. It is easier to fear than to live. It’s easier to fear than to love. It’s easier to fear and stand still than to allow God to be God and in faith move forward. Icons are feared because of what they might evoke in our hearts, but if we hold icons and art at such a high level of scrutiny, why don’t we apply the same intensity to everything ales in Christian life… like music… or the way we dress? We also fear because we’ve made Christ into our own image and this christ doesn’t like the things we don’t like and opposes all that we oppose. This christ uses fear to keep us in check… the real Christ uses love as the motivating factor for life.
About the Author
Stefania Tarasut
8 responses to “Vanilla Jesus”
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As you can see from my post, I too was confronted by the strange concept of a white Jesus! There are a lot of other representations of Jesus from other cultures…just don’t make sell in our white European centered world. I think this will change as other cultures send out more and more missionaries (Korea, Africa, S. America) we might see more of these cultures in the faces of Jesus. But your point is stop on about the idea of fear in the church. What I think is the underlying issue is control: Church leaders (felt) need to be responsible for people to fit into their concept of holy and right living. Sadly, I believe, that it is based on an underlying failure to trust God to be God. God can defend Himself just fine; He can convict people just fine; He can direct His church just fine! If we spent less time trying to control and run everyone’s lives and instead spent more time worshiping, loving and trusting God, I think our churches would be filled with more love, joy and flexibility and a lot less worry and fear! So, Stefania, I AMEN you thoughts.
As I read your post, Stefania, I find myself wanting to offer a number of thoughts it evokes, but I’ll limit myself to one point that I think could be minimally scandalous to someone if they just quickly look at my statement and don’t really think about it.
I think that we DO and MUST make God in our image…
Philosophically, it is impossible NOT to do this.
However, I also think it is vital that we don’t ONLY do this…God is also much more than just our image.
To me, this is where a lot of people get caught up in the dangers of visuality. At first, they balk about an image because of their concern that an image doesn’t adequately do justice to the actuality of God. Then, in the end, they buy so fully (often unconsciously) into the concept of God that is “described” through the image that they essentially don’t consider God in any other manner than through the characteristics portrayed in their developed mental imagery of God through such portrayals.
It is important to not deceive ourselves into thinking that we can actually not have any images of God. No matter how skewed, limited, etc…we will always have some kind of image; so, we might as well create the best ones that we are able to create (however, I am not saying in this that every image of God must be somehow anthropomorphic). 🙂 Correspondingly, it is important to recognize that no number of images can comprehensively contain/portray God’s Image (capitalized image). I find residing in this tension of awareness of recognition but never full comprehension and seeking to navigate it healthily is a substantive key to maintaining vibrant, welcoming spirituality.
Stefania,
Vanilla Jesus, what a concept! Brilliant, bold, and beautiful post! I found myself saying “Amen!” many times while reading your words.
Perhaps it would be better if we were physically blind. I wonder how a blind person would picture Jesus — or any person for that matter. I do know for a fact that whatever “image” that person has, if would not be Sallman’s picture. And what language would that Jesus speak? These are interesting thoughts indeed.
Regarding the fear factor, this is another good question. I see many Christians motivated by fear and by peers, particularly in large evangelical churches — at least this has been my experience in America. Fear and peer pressure dominate much worship and other Christian practices. We must read our Bibles. We must pray. We must witness. We must raise our hands. The list goes on and on. Any why do we do it? Because God is pleased if we do these things. And God is mad at us if we don’t. There is the fear that you talked about. And for a group that believes in grace and love, something is not right here. Thankfully, I am not trapped in that cycle any more. Maybe I am no longer a “right-on Christian,” but I love Jesus as much as I ever have and I am seeing Him in ways that I have never experienced before such as in Native-Americans and others. I am glad that there is still room for mystery since God ways are surely mysterious. Again, thanks for your post.
Wow, Stefania. You ask some pretty profound questions! Would make for an interesting conversation in cape town.
As you say, it’s so sad that often we’re motivated by fear in our relationship with God, instead of love. Love for God and confidence in His love for us.
It is interesting how the Korean church have resisted the temptation to make Jesus look Korean. Yet in china, Jesus does look Chinese. I do wonder why this is? Is it because Korea has such a high regard for white americans? Possibly. What do you think?
Stefania,
I appreciate your questions. God (Christ) founded the church first in the Old Testament by creating the Hebrew nation. God set the Hebrew people apart from other people groups at that time, and He established them as His priests to the world. In the New Testament, Christ brought together Jews and Gentiles and removed ethnic boundaries that had separated them for centuries. When Christ brought everyone together through His sacrifice, He commanded us to commune with one another and to spread the Gospel…hence forming the early church. Your question as to why Jesus is always pictured as a white man, I believe can be answered when we look at the early artwork during the early church history. They created the white Jesus that we see depicted today.
Nice work, Stefania! My two cents:
First – that white Jesus. I think what it tells us is the strength of culture to influence truth. The European and later American domination of the globe through colonization is deeply embedded in all of our imagery. And though of course – we all know that Jesus was Jewish and not European white – our cultural influence on the image is huge. It’s what Morgan refers to in the intersectionality of culture, religion, and belief. I think we have a natural tendency to see God in an image that we can relate to, but we must recognize and confess how we have made him in our image. And then I could go off on a whole digression about cultural identity and how minority cultural groups (or perhaps those with less power) have come to believe the ideas that white is bright and better, and everything else is less. But I will save that.
About the fear – I think it ties to our sinful nature. I have an essay in my head that ties back to that. But though we are forgiven and reconciled to Christ, we are in that gradual process of transformation that takes at least a lifetime. Our human, sinful tendency to fear change holds us back. You say that it is easier to live by fear. I challenge that. I think it is human and natural to follow the familiar, which is the fear. But I think and believe that it is so much easier to live in love. It’s so less stressful. It’s so less unhappy. It is so much more joyful. When I surrender to Christ and let Him move and act through me it is – a great relief. I am responsible, and yet, I am not. I am free. It is He who lives and breathes and acts in me and it is amazing. My words are inadequate, and I am merely a work in process. But I so pray and wish and hope that more of us would embrace surrender and experience the depth of peace that comes from letting go.
Stefania, thank you for your post. I think that we often misinterpret, reinterpret and misuse, and remake Jesus to serve our own purposes.
Your post reminds me of what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:11-13 “You’re all picking sides, going around saying, “I’m on Paul’s side,” or “I’m for Apollos,” or “Peter is my man,” or “I’m in the Messiah group.” I ask you, “Has the Messiah been chopped up in little pieces so we can each have a relic all our own?” (The Message) I wonder…have we chopped up Jesus for our own purposes?
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