Imago Dei

The above image of the Christ child is a classic renaissance image. I find beauty, and divine delicacy in the softly painted image. The curly hair, the smoothness of the skin, are all appealing.

I still have an appreciation of this work as art. Increasingly, however, I am troubled by the image of a white Christ. You may think this is because of my seminary education. I guess, in part, that is true. Certainly seminary has increased my awareness of the exclusivity of some of our language in the Church.

But more and more I am angered by use of the white Jesus image in American politics. I've seen uses of this image of a Christ to propagate a anti-social justice platform, often going directly against the social activism Christ's very life calls us to do. How does such a misinterpretation of Christ and of God's creation continue vicious cycles of racism, religious intolerance and encourage ignorance?

But still, he sure is a cute baby.