Other ways of seeing Jesus

Each week at King of Peace we project some image from Christian art on the walls, adding to our worship some of the riches of Christian art through the centuries. There was a time when Judaism and Christianity avoided images out of a desire not to create an idol. During one such art controversy in the 700s, John of Damascus wrote,

Of old, God the incorporeal and uncircumscribed was never depicted. Now, however, when God is seen clothed in flesh, and conversing with men, I make an image of the God whom I see. I do not worship matter, I worship the God of matter, who became matter for my sake, and deigned to inhabit matter, who worked out my salvation through matter.

Christians agreed with John of Damascus seeing it appropriate to paint Jesus and depict scenes from his life. Each culture has tended to do this is such a way so that the Jesus they paint reflects their culture. As the life of the historical Jesus has significance for all peoples and the resurrected Jesus is fully present in all cultures, this is appropriate. While Jesus no more looked Chinese than he looked blonde hair and blue eyed, both of those depictions help people to picture Jesus as Immanuel—God with us.

One great place to see Jesus through the eyes of other cultures is at the Asian Christian Art Association, particularly at their artist profiles and galleries.