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"The
Passion" And The Truth?
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By Kwaku Person-Lynn, Ph.D.
There has been a clarion call for the scholarly community to respond
to the
depiction of Jesus, the Christ in the latest religious Hollywood
blockbuster
"The Passion Of The Christ." A subterranean discussion has continued
for decades
centered on whether Jesus was a Black man. Before tackling this issue,
let us
first look at what various sources say about his mother. When
attempting to
discover who a person was, an effective methodology is to investigate
that
person's ancestry.
In one of the most important books on this subject, "The Cult of the
Black
Virgin"by Ean Begg, author, former member of the Dominican Order and
psychoanalyst, a telling statement was made, "Emile Saillens (author
of 'Nos
Vierge
Noires, leurs origines') estimates from the evidence that is available
that by
the
middle of the sixteenth century, before the depredations of the
Huguenots,
there were 190 statuettes of the Black Virgin in France."
Continuing with Begg, a conversation he quoted in his book is very
revealing.
"In 1944, Leonard W. Moss, entering the church at Lucera in southern
Italy,
came across his first Black Virgin and asked the priest, 'Father, why
is the
Madonna black?' The response was, "My son, she is black because she
is
black.'"
One of the most poignant pieces of evidence hangs in The Church Of The
Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestine. The Discovery Channel aired a
documentary on
Jesus
some time ago. Before entering the room of Jesus reported birthplace,
at the
top of the portal hangs an elaborate painting of Mary and her son,
both Black.
It seems the authorities in charge would not do such a thing without a
valid
reason.
William LaRue Dillard, minister and author, in his book "Biblical
Ancestry
Voyage," cites the following, "When Pope Pius was head of the Vatican
state, an
official postage stamp was issued with the Virgin Mary as a Negro on
it. There
was a similar stamp in Spain commemorating the Black Virgin and
Child."
Having taken a cursory look at the mother of Jesus, the Christ, let us
now
turn our attention to the main character. There are numerous
portrayals
throughout the globe, but the first to be found were in Europe, where
the image
of
Jesus being Black is an old idea. Depictions can be found in France,
the
Cathedral of Millan; in Germany, the Cathedral of Augsburg; in Italy,
the Church
of
San Francisco (at Pisa). There are several places where Jesus and Mary
are both
portrayed Black. For example; Our Lady of the Hermits at Einsiedeln,
Switzerland; the Russian Black Madonna, the Notre Dame of Kazan;
Shrine of the
Black
Madonna, Queen of the Pyrenees, Spain; The Sicilian Black Madonna, the
Black
Virgin at Tindari; the Black Madonna, Notre Dame of Hal, near
Brussels, Belgium;
Our Lady of Czestochowa, in Poland.
The Bible, King James Version, which many refer to as the word of God,
has
several chapters that refer to the color of Jesus. In Daniel (Old
Testament) 7:9
says, "and the hair of his head like the pure wool." Revelation (New
Testament) 1:15 reveals “his feet like unto fine brass, as if they
burned in a
furnace." Additional references one can turn to are: Ezekiel 1:27 and
8:2.
The beloved elder and the most published Black biblical scholar to
date, Dr.
Charles B. Copher, in one of his popular lectures, "Black People In
and Of the
Bible," traces the Black ancestry of Jesus, primarily using a
genealogical
approach. He also states that the original Hebrews, Israelites and
Jews,
including Abraham and Moses, were Black.
Dr. Cain Hope Felder, the very renowned biblical scholar at Howard
University, in his three essential works: 'Troubling Biblical Waters:
Race,
Class, &
Family'; 'Stony The Road We Trod: African American Biblical
Interpretation'; and
the 'African Heritage Study Bible', which illustrates the role
Afrikans played
in shaping Judaism and Christianity, has provided tons of evidence
describing
Jesus physical appearance. According to Dr. Dillard, he also suggests
the
entire Old Testament has no Whites in it.
We cannot blame Mel Gibson for making the movie. After all,
moviemaking is a
business first, and he knew he had an instant hit. What is most
important is
what you believe. There is an abundance of evidence to confirm what
has been
stated. The key question is, are you strong enough to wipe away long
held
beliefs that can be mentally crippling, but continue the path of a
spiritual
consciousness?
Kwaku Person-Lynn is the author of On My Journey Now - The Narrative
And
Works Of Dr. John Henrik Clarke, The Knowledge Revolutionary. E-mail
address:
DrKwaku@hotmail.com. Website:
www.drkwaku.com
Editorial Note:
Kwaku Person-Lynn's views are not a reflection of this magazine.
DrumBeats Magazine promotes FREEDOM OF SPEECH. How do you feel about this
debate?
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