When God Became White: Dismantling Whiteness for a More Just Christianity

by Grace Ji-Sun Kim

In the New Testament, we see over and over again how Jesus interacted with women and raised them up. Jesus conversed with and supported many women throughout the New Testament. In the story of the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet, all the men in the house were upset at this woman’s mere presence and became irate over her display of devotion to Jesus. But Jesus was not angry; instead, he welcomed it and said that we were to remember her actions because she demonstrated the kind of love he wants us to show one another. In other parts of the New Testament, we see that Jesus loved Mary and Martha and they became some of his closest friends. Jesus also talked to a Samaritan woman who was considered an outcast by her community. He told her about living water that would give her eternal life. Unlike the rest of society, Jesus did not set up barriers, oppress foreigners, nor subjugate women. Instead, Jesus did the opposite and praised the women around him. To grow in our discipleship, we need to do likewise. We need to become followers of Jesus and lift up the marginalized. By moving away from an image of a white male God, we can rid the church of the barriers, prejudice, and rejection of “outsiders” that is still so prevalent. It will help us to see how we are all important, valuable, and created in the image of God.