The color of Jesus' skin

I just read a few gripes by the ubiquitous commenters of online news articles, always looking to make someone feel bad or cause trouble, especially if it can be racial or religious. At least one was complaining that nativity baby Jesus' are pale white and they should not be (he or she was speculating that Jesus' skin was darker tone). And of course we all remember the "Rev Wright" Jesus is a black man comment (and who can forget Kanye West in his crown of thorns get up).

OK, here's the situation. I have no problem with ethnic groups translating art work of the Holy Family into their own skin color and dress. In fact, I love several portrayals of the Madonna and Child in Chinese garb with oriental skin color and facial features.

But it is simply wrong to infer a racial reason for the baby Jesus being pale white in color. It is in fact Biblically supported. Here is why. If you read Exodus where Moses is in the regular company of God himself, Moses' skin begins to lighten and become pale and shining as light itself. It is a feature of being near the Holy Spirit, as Jesus was born of, and near the physical presence of God, as Moses was, that the actual skin of the person starts to shine with the radiance of light. That's light, not "black versus white skin." Light is light and to portray it as Biblically described one makes the person very white. Traditional sacred artists were well read in their Bible (all of it, not the Cliff Notes Jesus Said version), and were aware that Moses was radiant "white" from his proximity near God, so much so that Moses had to veil himself because the sight of his "white" radiant skin was astonishing and disconcerting to the people. Therefore, the baby Jesus is always portrayed in the palest of glowing white, not because "the man is trying to keep the people of color down" or "because the artists were racists." Um, no, they um, you know, read their Bible.

I hope this helps.