A woman writes an article for Christianity Today. About Jesus She uses imagery that suggests Jesus is a woman, and black. She receives hate mail and death threats. Death threats! Because she writes an article in Christianity Today suggesting Jesus might be anything other than a white man. “Son of Man.” What does that mean? Men — and it is almost exclusively men — say: When masculine pronouns are used, it is obvious in scripture when humankind is subject. That when pronouns used in scripture to refer to all of humankind actually refers to all of humankind notwithstanding — we (evolved, enlightened human beings) can certainly begin to use our language to convey exactly that: all of humankind. Be better interpreters/writers. Create new pronouns. God as more than gendered — beyond and encompassing gender and Nothing that can be contained by, or even touched by . . . gender is a crutch, a stigma, a shackle — it only serves to constrain, enslave, control, subjugate: dehumanize. He, She, shIt thrown at the Creator of everything. Jesus. Word. God. Through Whom all things are made. In the beginning. In the end. In everything In-between. Middle East-born, Egyptian - suckled: richly pigmented; Murdered, infused hell, Resurrected — Unrecognizable. Unrecognizable! They knew their friend by voice. They knew by Jesus’ voice — that Jesus knew them. They knew this form was the incarnation of God because the incarnate God Loved. The incarnated God — Resurrected — made perfect cells reassembled according to creative design, perfected, Redeemed — made right — Justice Cells reassembled, perfected — not confined to ordinary laws. Physics. Walks through doors yet holds substance: wounds. Unrecognizable in form: gender. pigmentation. A woman writes an article for Christianity Today suggesting Jesus can be known as a black woman. And she receives hate mail and death threats. For writing about how she experiences her relationship with Jesus. For writing. For seeking to know God and follow Jesus and live her calling to know and love — more. Death threats. Letters evoking violence done to her. God. Is not. And never will be. A white man.
To know God more, read Christena Cleveland. For Visio Divina, meditate with the art of Paula Champagne.
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