One of the many reasons why we find rejection of the Christian faith is because each Christian community claims something different about the person that they claim to be the founder of their faith and the incarnation of God as well. They each clam to have the true identity and picture of who Jesus was and is today. These disputes are as old as the Christian religion itself. When we read the Gospel accounts, we find different views of Jesus depending on which audience the Gospel writer is addressing. In John's Gospel account and the letters of John a the end of the New Testament, we find that the early Church in the first century was contending with the various view of Jesus that were prevalent at the time. In the fourth century, there were many debates and conflicts taking place about the being and nature of Jesus.Christological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries threatened to tear the Church apart through the arguments and debates which took place relative to the person of Jesus. Some said that Jesus was the incarnate God. Others said that Jesus was an artificial imitation of God, slightly higher than angels and humans, but inferior to God. Others, yet, claimed that Jesus had the two natures (divine and human) blended into one nature.
In later centuries, the image of Jesus that was presented by the Church was that of one who resembled those in power. In Euro-America, even to this day, Jesus came to be depicted as a blonde hair, blue-eyed Jesus, which in essence, was a Jesus reflective of the white middle class and the white-power structure in Euro-America. In some of the hymns (for example, "Fairest Lord Jesus), it was assumed that Jesus looked more European or American than Asian or African. In the white Protestant churches in the U.S.A. Jesus is painted or depicted as white, and many members of these churches assume that the depictions and paintings are "Gospel truth." As a matter of fact, it was and is thought today, that the paintings and depictions of Jesus as Caucasian corresponds more to the Gospel narratives that we find written in the New Testament.
Because of the advent of Liberation Theology in Latin America, and other countries of the so-called Third World, Jesus is now depicted in those countries in images of people of those nationalities. In other words, Jesus is depicted as black in Africa, and among people of African descent in different nations, including the U.S.A. In Asia, He would be depicted as looking like Chinese, Japanese, Indian, etc. Furthermore, because of Liberation Theology's emphasis on social class, Jesus would be depicted as a poor person who was a social prophet denouncing oppression. This image would also be present in the so-called "Jesus Seminar" movement of the late 1980's and 1990's. This movement would project a Jesus who was disillusioned with His own aspirations and goals relative to the future of humanity and the reign of God.
There are those who might attempt resolving this problem by quoting Scripture. This, however, does not solve the problem completely for the reasons already mentioned, i.e. that even in Scripture we find Jesus presented in various images, depending on the audience addressed and the issue involved.
One theologian back in the 1960's stated that it wasn't a question of determining what Jesus was like in the first century, but rather asking who is for us today what Jesus was for the people of His time?
So then, we go back to square one. Will the real Jesus please stand up? Rather than propose my physical image of what Jesus looked like or what His color was, I would rather state that for me Jesus (independent of any of these other factors) was sent by God into the world to liberate us from the power of individual and systemic sin. To me, Jesus's mission is far more important that his ethncity, nationality, or race.
Can you share with us who the real Jesus is for you? Is it the Jesus who is aligned and linked with the power structures of oppression? Is Jesus linked with those social groups who are oppressed? Or is Jesus "neutral," not really caring one way or the other about those actions and policies that dehumanize people? Please give us your image of Jesus.
Grace and peace,
Dr. Juan A. Ayala-Carmona
Jesus is what each one of us believes he is. As you mentioned people of different ethnicities may see him as their own this matters not. As long as we believe that he was sent by God to pardon our sins this is what truly matters. Is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit one in the same. I believe so. Some may ask howcan that be, it is simple. As a child I needed something to understand this. So I took water. Water at room temperature is just that water. Under 32 degrees it is ice. Above212 degrees it becomes steam, ala in all it is still water just in different forms. That was the child's minds explanation. Today I believe in the trinity and in Jesus is my savior. I do not need my childhood rationalization any longer, faith is all I need.
ReplyDeleteDear Bro. David: Thank you for your input. Your comments are very thought-provoking. In essence, if I understand you correctly, you are saying that each of us as individuals have the right to see Jesus according to our own criteria. So in a sense, then, the real Jesus is not an objective being, but rather the Jesus that is the construction of all of our individual minds. I agree wholeheartedly with you that what really matters is Jesus's mission. In fact, I stated that in the blog. Your comment on the Trinity is very interesting. The reason why I say that is because your view of the Trinity, as stated by you, is not the traditional view of God being revealed and manifested in the relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three distinct persons sharing the same divine nature, but rather the view that God is one person, having played three different roles at different times in history. The best way I could describe that latter view is that you are one person having played different roles in your life as son, husband, and father. That type of Trinity is not a Trinity of persons, but rather a Trinity of roles. I am not saying that you are right or wrong in your views, but I am pointing out that your view of the Trinity is not the historic and traditional view of the Church. It is interesting, that you will find people in churches that subscribe to the traditional view of the Trinity, but when you speak to them "one on one," their individual views of the Trinity are identical to yours. I concur with you in believing that at the end of the day, whatever view we have of Jesus is not based on childhood (and I would add even adulthood) rationalization, but rather on faith. Thanks so much for your input. I hope and trust that your comments will generate further discussion.
ReplyDeleteGrace and peace,
Juan