Reeder: Who he's, no longer what he appears like, is what’s ...

SPRINGFIELD – It's time for all depictions of "white European" Christ figures to be torn down. at the least that's the competition of Shaun King, a leader within the Black Lives depend circulation.

"yes, I think the statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should also come down. they're a type of white supremacy. all the time have been. within the Bible, when the household of Jesus desired to disguise, and blend in, wager the place they went? EGYPT! not Denmark. Tear them down." King shared in a tweet.

by no means one to let a chance to grandstand go to waste, President Donald Trump jumped right on it remaining week with the aid of by some means linking the statues of confederate leaders to photographs of Jesus.

"I feel lots of the americans that are flattening these statues don't even have any conception what the statue is ... Now they are Jesus Christ," the president stated.

while there's much to admire in the demands for police reform in the Black Lives rely circulate, I don't help tearing down statues of Jesus. accomplice generals in spite of this were the political Judases of their day. they're lengthy past due for coming down.

The confederate statues are on public property and maintained with taxpayer dollars. Their intention is to honor white supremacists who betrayed the republic.

As a citizen, I even have a voice in what is displayed on public houses. The Jesus statues and paintings, however, are in church buildings and other non-governmental websites.

That mentioned, I have to admit that I'm perplexed by using how an awful lot passion surrounds the situation of the color of Jesus' skin.

When i was a kid in in Sunday faculty originally United Methodist Church in Galesburg we bought our workbooks one Sunday morning and on the cowl turned into a Nativity scene the place Mary, Joseph and Jesus had been black. And Balthasar turned into nowhere to be viewed.

Our white Sunday college instructor wouldn't comment on the depiction and the students, who also have been all white, appeared perplexed.

in spite of everything, the Jesus that had been presented to us before in church had been reasonable complected. He become about as middle eastern as, smartly, Robert Redford.

Of route, we examine in our Bibles that Jesus turned into Jewish. however Galesburg didn't have many Jewish faces for us to evaluate.

Years ago, i used to be a member of a Moline church situated by using Swedish immigrants. A Nordic Christ towered over a stairwell.

No wonder he surrounded himself with fishermen. He wanted lutefisk.

In all seriousness, when I heard about the latest controversy, I called up two historical pals: Don Johnson, an African-American pastor in Rock Island, and Shaun Lewis, a white pastor in the Peoria enviornment.

"I trust Jesus was non-white," Johnson noted. "You go into some Black churches and also you'll see Jesus with an afro. That's probably as inaccurate because the blond-haired, blue-eyed depictions.

"The element is that they didn't have Kodak cameras returned then so we really don't comprehend what he gave the look of. however when I get to heaven, I'm now not going to be looking on the color of his epidermis, I'm going to be searching at the nail marks in his hands and feet. It's the sacrifice he made that's critical."

I agree with the Rev. Johnson on that point.

Dr. Shaun Lewis, recalled a visit to Israel he made years ago where he visited a park with statues of Christ from around the globe. Some depicted an Asian Jesus, others an African one and nonetheless others a european one.

"I'm definitely not a fan of statues or paintings of Jesus since it shifts the focus from who he's to what he looks like," he observed.

So, why after 2,000 years are individuals nonetheless arguing concerning the racial id of Jesus?

"there is delight in our hearts and we need to say Jesus is extra like us than other people," Lewis said.

however past delight, some contend Christ photos were used to depict one race as superior to an extra.

"The white Jesus is part of yankee Christianity. It's an image that has been used from the times of slavery onward to oppress and suppress Black people," the Rev. Johnson talked about. "but I don't believe we should tear those statues and art work down. after I walk via them, I'm no longer offended. I simply be aware of they aren't accurate."

Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse journalist and a contract reporter. ScottReeder1965@gmail.com.