Christians love a good Bible story, especially if the main characters are white. Christians sometimes don’t realize Jesus was born and bred not in the good ol’ U.S. of A, but the Middle East. However, a bushy-haired, dark complected Savior wouldn’t be quite as appealing as the “guy in the white glowing bathrobe, with the light blue beauty sash and long flowing locks.” (Good, if you know who’s quote this is, you’re already an elightened Christian, or heading straight to hell – depending on who you listen to.)
If you’re a new member of a church teaching children’s Sunday school, and you notice the Bible story characters are all Caucasian- don’t be alarmed. But also don’t call attention to your astute observation or you will likely be branded as the politically-correct Christian and other members within the church will feel pegged as racists. It would be best to slowly introduce the children within your Sunday school class to flannelgraph depictions of non-white characters. Take caution: If this exposure to reality is revealed too quickly, you can expect a destructive outcome, you might even damage a child’s self esteem. (Take extreme precautions especially when revealing a Moses that does not feature long flowing white hair and beard- this could be highly detrimental to many Christian’s perceptions of their favorite sea-parting hero.)
In most circumstances it would be best to make flattering comments about the beautiful artwork of the Caucasian Jesus displayed in your church’s hallways and classrooms. Don’t worry, you will probaby cause controversy within the church at some point, but it’s best to start lightly.
