The Color of the Cross
At this time of the year, as we enter the season of the Resurrection, I watch a film called “The Color of the Cross.” It is the story of the last days of Jesus. In the film, Jesus is portrayed as a Black man with woolly hair and a black beard. He is dressed in a white robe and sandals. His disciples are a multicultural mix of different ethnic groups. His disciple Thomas is Black and Judas is Black.
The words on the film are: It will change everything you believe. The Color of the Cross was introduced into the theaters in 2006. It is a powerful epic film that vividly portrays the last 48 hours of Jesus Christ. It challenges the assumptions about Jesus and his skin color. The film was written and directed by Jean Claude LaMarre. He also stars in the film. It is really a very good film and one that should be viewed by all Christians, especially during this season as we near Resurrection Sunday.
In one touching scene, Jesus embraces a black sheep and says the following, “If only man would embrace that which is different, this would be a better world.” The enemies of Jesus criticize him and say that the color of his skin is blasphemy. The leaders of the time reject him as a black Jew and let it be known that they would not be part of a kingdom of dark-skinned Jews. But the disciples of Jesus call him Master. Mary and Joseph are also Black in the film, so is his brother James. Jesus notes in the film that my mother, “was forced to give birth to me in a manger.” He also notes that our people have escaped slavery in Egypt led out by Moses.
The Roman soldiers in the film get word that Jesus is near and so they set out to find him. They crash into the house of Mary and Joseph looking for Jesus and threaten them. The scene shifts to the Last Supper, where Jesus sits with is disciples. They break bread and drink wine. As they eat together, Jesus states, “...One of you will deny me three times.” They all are upset and tell Jesus that he is wrong because no one will deny him. But Jesus goes on to say that one of you will deny me tonight. And then he tells the disciples that one of them will betray him in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. The scene shifts to Judas who looks very guilty. This is perhaps the most dramatic scene in the film.
The Roman soldiers continue to look for Jesus and they ask the people, “Have any of you seen a Black Jew who travels with a dozen men?” Jesus is found by the Roman soldiers. They arrest him. They beat him. He is crucified and hung on the cross with a crown of thorns on his head. Doubting Thomas asks the question: “Do you think they are doing this because he is Black?” This question permeates throughout the film and the message is that Jesus was crucified due to the color of his skin.
The Color of the Cross will not sit well with a lot of people. It is very controversial. It was a low budget film and it was not advertised very well. The critics did not give it a favorable review. However, this columnist found that the film was good. It is a conversation piece. The question that I raise is was the film rejected by some because Jesus is portrayed as a Black man? It would be a good film to show and discuss with a group of people. I plan to order part two next week. The title of Part 2 is: The Color of the Cross, The Resurrection.
This Columnist has produced my own film called “Blacks in the Bible.” It takes the audience from the book of Genesis and cites Blacks who were significant in the biblical history. In order to produce this film, I researched a number of biblical scholars and their work on this topic. I also produced a CD on this topic. This is part of my collection of historical tapes and videos!!