To Honor The Season Of Lent Lets Give Up the Silly Belief That Jesus Is A White Man From Europe Who Moved to America

 A Woman Washes Jesus’ Feet

One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to dine with him. When he arrived at the Pharisee’s house, he took his place at table. A woman of that town, who was leading a sinful life, learned that Jesus was a dinner guest in the Pharisee’s house. Carrying with her an alabaster jar of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

Jesus was most assuredly not a white man from Europe who moved to America!

Lent is one of those annoying Christian traditions that has for the most part been left behind in our modern world. A world where instant gratification, no guilt and absolute entitlement reduce the concepts of sin, guilt and self-sacrifice to a merely entertaining historical footnote. At least it would if the people of today studied the people of yore.

 So, for those who missed the memo: Jesus was Jewish, possibly very dark skinned, would have worn a stubbly beard and shortish hair. The image that most people have of a long haired, bearded, European (AKA white) tall and slender Jesus come for the most part from the Rennaissance. 

This ethno-centric image has been transported around the world by well meaning missionaries (lets give them the benefit of the doubt) and has done serious harm to people who didn't deserve it.

The Green Man