Who Do You Say That I Am?:

The sixteenth chapter of the gospel of Matthew introduces us to probably the most powerful and personal question asked in the Bible, when Jesus asks Simon Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). For people of color, we have been asking this question of ourselves since the day we were born. The identity of a person of color is something that we struggle with for a lifetime, and it is something that can be very influenced by the environment around us. The sad fact is that many people of color feel an identity of insecurity, low self-esteem, and shame within the church, but why? A large influence of the identity of people of color within the church stems from the identity of Christ himself. If we cannot understand Christ’s identity and how it relates to ours, then how are we to feel a sense of connection and love to this figure, our supposed savior. Through the research of the race of Jesus Christ, the historical events surrounding racism and the Catholic Church/Christianity, and the representation of Christian figures in art, we can work towards a “New Church” by answering the main questions, Why is Jesus white in Christian Art, what are the consequences of a white Jesus in our society today, and what impact could it make on the lives of people of color to see a non-white Jesus?