Imago Dei — Alleluia
“God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.””Genesis 1:26–28 MSG
Agendas
Easter Sunday is over. This year we did it differently in the Northeast as well as other areas in the United States. This Lenten series was supposed over on Friday. It’s not, I naively thought I could write each topic daily. It was as if I forgot who I am as a writer and researcher. Consequently, the series is going into the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost known as Eastertide. Typically, it is a season where we rejoice and celebrate Christ Jesus has risen. “We remember our baptisms and how, through this sacrament, we are “incorporated into Christ’s mighty acts of salvation.” As my Pastor spoke on Easter Sunday, all I could think about is resurrected Jesus. Christ Jesus who fulfilled God’s promise. “And I will put enmity (open hostility) Between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, And you shall [only] bruise His heel.” Because of legend, I imagine Jesus spent Holy Saturday wrestling satan and his minions. In my mind’s eye, an epic battle with roundhouse kicks took place. Traditions, belief systems, how we see biblical characters are sometimes shaped by personal agendas of some. For me, the ultimate example is Pope Gregory I aka Gregory the Great branded Mary Magdalene a prostitute with Homily 33 spoken in 591 AD. By conflating a couple of women in the Bible and a Mary from 5th century Egypt, Pope G was able to convince people for over 1300 years Mary Magdalene was a demon-possessed sexually immoral woman who found redemption by immolating herself at the feet of Jesus. One of the reasons Pope Gregory deviated so far from scripture was to control or debunk the idea of Mary being an apostle.
It isn’t the only area where an imagery in religion is used to control the masses so to speak. God is white or of European descent is a created image that breaks the second commandment. Paintings of God are graven images. A white God is a marketing tool for white supremacy. It markets to the subconscious mind and says to other people groups you are inferior and I am superior — God doesn’t look like you, God looks like me. It goes against Scripture as it forms God into a man. The NIV says it best God is not human. Moses to the Israelites “When the LORD spoke to you from the fire on Mount Sinai, you did not see any form. For your own good, then, make certain that you do not sin by making for yourselves an idol in any form at all — whether man or woman,”. Michael Gungor wrote a song called “God is Not a White Man” to dispel the myth so long a tradition it permeates the majority of our subconscious minds. When people have visions of God ( a spirit by the way), it is always man, a white man. Movies, paintings, Bible series… God is always white. Spirits don’t walk around in form or color according to scripture. Jesus, the incarnate God, was depicted only as a white man until recently.
In 2004, I went to study in Israel and we had teaching on modern-day graven images. The teacher spoke about advertising, consumerism and subliminal messaging. I don’t rememer much of what he said except “we are bombarded with constant images, some methods include subliminal advertising”. There are insidious motivations behind the methodical use of a white Jesus. Ellen White, one of the founders of the Seventh Day Adventist denomination, while speaking about the hope heaven and the promise of divine comfort in this world. Said on the benefits of adoption into God’s family for black people offered the following: “Remembering this, you will be able to bear the trials which you meet here. In heaven there will be no color line; for all will be as white as Christ Himself. Let us thank God that we can be members of the royal family. (Manuscript 27, 1901 par. 17; “Trust in God,” par. 20)” . A Stanford Study published January 2020 concludes “The researchers, led by Stanford psychologist Steven O. Roberts, conducted a series of studies with U.S. Christians and found that when people conceptualize God as a white man, they are more likely to perceive white male job candidates as more fit for leadership than black and female applicants, Stanford research has found. Their data, published Jan. 30 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, reveals the consequences of intuiting a particular identity to God and how those beliefs manifest in everyday life. “Basically, if you believe that a white man rules the heavens, you are more likely to believe that white men should rule on Earth,” said Roberts, an assistant professor of psychology in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences.”
It has been disheartening to write about on this particular subject. The Image of God. “People are constantly exposed to the image of God as a white man,” Roberts said.” My intention was to write a heartwarming piece on how we are created in the image of God. However, we cannot speak about God’s Image without exploring how it has been weaponized against People of Color throughout the centuries. Four years ago I heard the Latin terminology for the Image of God, Imago Dei. I was raised a hardcore Roman Catholic so how I went 46 years without hearing it, is a great mystery. Ironically, I came across Imago Dei while binge watching Showtime’s Penny Dreadful (I love 19th century horror). It rolls off the tongue with ease.
Imago Dei, “a concept and theological doctrine in Judaism,Christianity, and Sufism of Islam,[which asserts that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. Philosophers and theologians have debated the exact meaning of the phrase for millennia. ,[1]
This is a two part series. I wanted to explore the academic aspects of Imago Dei through the lens of the Abrahamic religions after I wrote about what it meant scripturely. The first part includes alleluia in the title, to me, in spite of the malfeasance from the Church at large to all People of Color groups, we say the highest praise. It is alleluia, because of God. “God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female.” Thank you, Eugene Peterson, for this translation. The description of the image of God is we take on His nature. His holiness, mercy, love, joy , peace, kindness, perseverance, peace, faithfulness. Verse after verse tells us we are being conformed to the image of His Son, the spiritual one not the physical. Verses such as Genesis 5:1–2 and 9:6, Wisdom of Solomon 2:23, Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18. We are also told Christ Jesus is made in the image of God Hebrews 1:3, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:15–16. The Imago Dei was never about the physical image of God.
If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see —
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
How dangerous those words become when placed in the hands of those seeking to oppress others. Jesus must be white and if Jesus is white then God is a white man too. Earl R. Riggins, Jr in his book, Dark Symbols, Obscure Signs: God,Self, and Community in the Slave Mind, writes “Whites seemed unequivocally certain in their belief that God had created them superior to those of African origin. Ensconced with this notion, liberal Whites spent much time and energy debating the theological question of the nature of the slave’s being. At the very heart of the master/slave relationship, masters had to face the question of whether the African American was created in the image of God. This question required more than a simple “yes” or “no” answer in a society that affirmed the Christian worldview as being normative.”. Richard Twiss, Late Native American Evangelist, wrote of his conversion to Christianity “As I have reflected on my conversion experience, I am glad I did not find faith in Jesus in a church building; it spared me from having become Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Pentecostal, or Wesleyan. I just became a follower of Jesus!But then I was told I needed to become a Christian too, specifically a Euro-American Christian. I learned that only English speakers had the “Authorized” version of the Bible. I discovered the Christian culture, complete with Christian music, Christian T-shirts, and even Christian haircuts. It was almost as if the Bible read, “When a person becomes a Christian they become a new creation. Old things pass away and all things become white.”When Jesus came into my life and overwhelmed me with his love, I wanted nothing more than simply to follow him. I began a life of transformation because he rescued me from a life of addiction, abuse, self-destruction, and likely from a premature death. I longed for the same transformation for our people. Yet I found myself tripping over the cultural trappings of American Christianity. Following the ways of Jesus seemed one thing; becoming a white Christian quite another.”
I must reiterate it is malfeasance. I have only researched how white Jesus affected the African Diaspora in the United States. Without research I can tell by its history, the church has damaged other non black POC people groups with continuous implication of Jesus and God is white. It continues with the slick packaging of predominantly white churches popping up all over New York City. When they do show you black members they are part of the choir or worship team (which is whole different topic). This where. I stopped two weeks ago.
Two Weeks Later
Writing about the image of God has truly depressed my soul. Knowing the lasting ramifications of a white God has me holding to Jesus tightly because I am drowning. I experienced this kind of desperation only one other time, when I was told “at this time multiple sclerosis is incurable” by my former neurologist. In these two weeks someone in my home group felt no mercy at my plight when I asked for prayers. She pulled out a scripture I should practice. The irony what she did went over her head. I was told to practice “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” I wanted to let the rage of my ancestors out on her. Did she not know how scripture is continuously used to silence people of color? To make us submissive to injustices and the wrongs done in the church? How the created Slave Bible was used against slaves especially the ones in the Caribbean? During home group I wishfully said “if we never created a white God or Jesus, wouldn’t we have loved closer to the way God as required of us”.
I had to step away from this no longer a meditation piece. My faith in the church was being shaken again. Maybe I needed to rest. Maybe I would finally heed to these words “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.”. To put your in your faith in the Church is akin to trusting in man. Humanity fails you more often than not because we are broken human beings. Dr. Bradley puts it better in a thread he wrote on twitter. Failed humans believe in the gospel.
Everything has been triggering this deep melancholy in me. I can’t watch. Covid-19 commercials where the brand is selling hope but it rarely includes families of color. PoC dads are doing beautiful things for their children. As seen in this TikTok video.
Mia’s dad also created a McDonald’s and Starbucks experience for her. Latinx Chef Paola Velez on her Instagram account has created content that is informative as well as entertaining. Myelin and Melanin podcast has created content for the Multiple Sclerosis world. My husband thinks I am too much in my head. It’s all overwhelming. It truly was my intention to leave this piece to collect dust for years. Then the video of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder happened and I read Black Coffee with White Friends IG post. Where she listed 16 reasons why Ahmaud was hunted down and killed.
After reading BCWF’s list, I had one more reason to add, reason #17. White Jesus. The idolatry of the European Race, a graven image of supremacy. White Jesus goes against scripture. Once the church decided God had form and color, it did what Moses warned against. The Church chose their agenda over God’s word. White Jesus allows for the undervaluing of other races and nationalities . It’s why early missionaries felt is was okay to say the only freedom valuable was freedom in Christ to slaves. It is why the KKK can label themselves a Christian organization. It is why why 82% of white evangelicals thought it was okay to vote for Donald Trump and say it was God. A white God would always prefer a corrupt white man over a seemingly moral Black man. A white Jesus allowed for Hitler to convince people there was a such thing as a pure race. That it was okay to exterminate Jews, blacks, LGBTQ and the diasabled, while playing hymns, because they were tainted humanity. It is why no one batted an eye when the created internment camps for Japanese Americans. They didn’t round up Germans. It is why the Chinese Exclusion Act was created May 6, 1882. Jim Crow laws, the Zoot Suit Riots, the Charlotte 9. It was why on February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was hunted and gunned down for jogging while black. White Jesus allowed two white men believe that they had the authority to take a man’s life because he didn’t belong in their neighborhood. It is exhausting being Black in the USA.It is exhausting always having to say humanity is frail and broken. God’s joy is supposed to be my strength but it is overwhelming to have to continue fight against the messaging of White Jesus in the USA.
I can only pray God reverses the damage created through the idolatry of a white God and Jesus. I can only pray that we remove all images of God and Jesus from churches globally and we get back the true understanding of Iamgo Dei. “Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Alleluia to the God of the bible and not the created god of man.
Billie Holliday
An excerpt
“An analysis of pro-slavery “Christianity” will elucidate the Christological differences between Black and White Church traditions today. W.E.B. Du Bois described how Christianity in the Colonies functioned to justify slavery (2000). White Christians claimed that “slaves were to be brought from heathenism to Christianity, and through slavery the benighted Indian and African were to find their passport into the kingdom of God” (Du Bois 2000:70). Eventually, whites were confronted with “the insistent and perplexing question as to what the status of the heathen slave was to be after he was Christianized and baptized?” (Du Bois 2000:70). Many slave owners questioned whether to expose their slaves to Christianity due to “the implications of equality in the Bible and…the fear that education might cause the slave to fight for his freedom” (Cone 1997:75).” Daniel Aguilar from his Genealogy of a White American Jesus: From Slave Master to Billy Graham
A message
Images of Jesus
