Depictions

Sometimes I don't recognize Mary.

Or Christ as an infant. 

I mistake it for an Italian woman with a baby, if the painting is from Italy. 

Or an American blonde woman with a baby, if the painting is from England or here.  

Once I walked into a house as a guest for Thanksgiving at a relatives of a friend and saw a portrait of a woman holding her baby and thought: "That's random. Looks like an old painting from Renaissance times or made in that style. But the theme is so random -woman and a baby."

It took me about 10 minutes before I circled back around and wondered, "Is that supposed to be..." 

Hans Zatzka painting

Fëdor Antonovič Bruni - Maria with child, 1858 - Russia

With Jesus as an adult it's a little more complicated. 

I recognize it's Jesus, but it's kind of awkward. 

Like having my friend Leslie who's a black woman painted as a white woman in a portrait. You would recognize it's her -but simultaneously recognize that the depiction is off. 

Was kind of glad to see Doreen Virtue acknowledge this today since many of her cards had portrayed Jesus as being a white man. 

For me it's mostly just frustrating because I WANT to see Jesus and Mary and instantly recognize them: As you would experience a kind of joy seeing a picture of a beloved friend of yours on Facebook. 

Part of me is always dismayed and distracted by this issue. 

Then there's a part of me that kind of understands why it happens. People from many cultures, countries, and backgrounds want to adopt Christ in as their own as much as they can. A member of their world and culture and country. One of their own. 

So mankind depicts God is his image -not HIS image. 

And in doing so makes God enfleshed seem closer and more familiar and similar and relatable. 

So there's nothing to hate really -just seek to understand subconsciously why people are doing it in the first place. Not necessarily out of a desire to "white wash" because I have seen instances where people of other races have depicted Jesus in their own race. 

I think it's good to know why people do it. I would just prefer if the truth and reality were depicted instead. It's one of the reasons I like Akiane's image so much.