What Race is Jesus? A New Movie Shakes Up Cinema & Social Norms

Does the race of Jesus Christ matter in history, in today's society, or to you personally? Was Jesus Black? Or White? Or Chinese, or Hispanic? Can you picture Jesus as all of these races, or just one?

Filmmaker Jean Claude LaMarre has set out to demonstrate in his new film, "Color of the Cross", that the race of Jesus does not matter. In an article on MSN, LaMarre, who plays Jesus in his film, brings up an interesting point:

"Black people in this country are the only race of people who worship a god outside their own image," says LaMarre, 38, adding that showing Christ as a black man is "the most poignant way to deal with the issue of race in this country because it goes to the heart of how we look at the world."

Even for me, a progressive-thinking, liberal person, I have to admit that it's hard for me to imagine Jesus as Black, Asian, or Hispanic...really, anything other than an olive-skinned Middle Eastern looking man (or a white male with a tan, to be quite frank). I blame that on my upbringing in mostly white churches, but as an adult, I can't blame anyone for how I perceive Jesus, regarding race or anything else.


LaMarre believes that Jesus may have been persecuted in part because of His being a Black male. I think that's reaching just a bit, but it does bring up the fact that probably since the beginning of time, there has been racism. So, if Jesus were Black, or any other persecuted race (as we know He did suffer persecution), then His skin color may have played a part. The hard part is that we don't have pictures or evidence from His time period that can guide us in how He looked physically. Moreso, there are very few passages in the Bible that refer to Jesus' physical appearance:

Revelations 1:14-15

1:14 His head and [His] hairs [were] white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes [were] as a flame of fire;
1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.
(KJV translation)

The wool-like hair and feet like "fine brass" could be indications that Jesus was dark-skinned or of African descent. But the wool hair could also refer to the color of his hair...so, that description alone may not be enough to determine Jesus was Black, or any other race for that matter. But the problem creeps in when social norms have determined that mainstream society will depict Christ as white, and we of other races accept that as an undoubtable truth.

The question now is, do you believe Jesus has a race? Do you think the race of your God or Christ should be the same as yours? Why?

Links for more info:
Interivew with LaMarre
BlackFlix site that highlights the movie
Background on the Race of Jesus