Paradosis

January 20, 2006

"Son of man"

Black Jesus film preaches politics over religion
A new movie made in South Africa attempts to "shock" westerners out of their blonde hair/blue eyes Jesus images. And, of course, show the "real" message of Jesus.

Ahem...gee, as much as I hate to slam a film I haven't seen...well, okay...that's not entirely true...but regardless, here I go.

Anyone actually know anyone who still holds a blonde haired/blue eyes Jesus image? Better question: Anyone actually know anyone who still holds a blonde haired/blue eyes Jesus image and who would also go and see this film????

"We wanted to look at the gospels as if they were written by spindoctors and to strip that away and look at the truth," director Mark Dornford-May told Reuters in an interview.

Anyone see the arrogance there? Mark Dornford-May can see the truth that those who actually were wintesses (please don't bore with details about some of the gospel writers NOT being witnesses) of Jesus' minsitry could not???? Astounding.

"The truth is that Christ was born in an occupied state and preached equality at a time when that wasn't very acceptable."

What Christian has ever denied that Israel at that time was an occupied state? Who is shocked by this statement? Ahhh...but Dunford-May has something else in mind.

By portraying Jesus as a black African, Dornford-May hopes to sharpen the political context of the gospels, when Israel was under Roman occupation, and challenge Western perceptions of Christ as meek, mild and European...

You mean Jesus was a hypocrite for teaching the beatitudes? Wait...more...

He [Jesus] gathers followers from the factions of armed rebels across the country and demands they lay down their guns and confront their corrupt rulers with a vision of non-violent protest and solidarity.

Really? And when precisely did Jesus do this in His REAL life? Funny, I don't recall Jesus ever organizing a "Judean People's Peaceful Non-Violent Protesters Front." I don't recall any sit-ins, or anti-occupation peace marches...in fact, I do not recall ANY confrontations with the Roman government (not even verbal) until the very end when Rome essentially threw their hands into the air (and then washed them) for all the craziness.

Jesus was not a politician...I'll say it again: He was not a politician. He was not a freedom fighter, he was not a crusader against "the man." Judas, the betrayer (recall all the uncomplimentary words offered to him in our hymnology) WANTED Jesus to have political aspirations, and indeed the same great mistake of many of Jesus' followers was their expectation that the messiah would be a political force for the evil occupiers to reckon with and, of course, fail.

Jesus came to save us from sin and to destroy death...THIS is accomplished even in the midst of an evil occupier and Jesus never lifted a finger to encourage or even suggest the need for the political freedom of the Jewish people. Like Judas, Dornford-May and his film miss the point of the gospel: the REAL tyranny, the REAL occupier and oppressor is found in YOUR heart.

Free us, indeed, Lord.