John Piper addresses the portrayal of Jesus in art here. I understand his point, but I don't think I agree.
Jesus came to Earth and became fully man, and in doing so he fully identified with us. His humanity should be enough, but for many its not and they want a Jesus that looks more like a mirror. The Bible is clear that in God's kingdom there is only one race, the human race. I think Jesus would want to see art that embraces the truth about him and acknowledges the oneness of the human race, not our differences. It seems like this
would be a powerful force to break down racial barriers, but we are using it to solidify them instead. (I would also worry that people might try to change more than just the 
skin color of Jesus in order to make him more acceptable to a new culture.)Why can't the truth, that Jesus was a Palestinian Jew**, be enough. I prefer the true Jesus, the Jewish looking Jesus, to any blond-haired blue-eyed gentle and mild Jesus, but maybe it's because I have neither blond hair or blue eyes.
What do you think?
**Incidentally, here is a Discovery Channel recreation of what a first century Palestinian Jew might have looked like. "Using the latest forensic and historical discoveries — and a computer — scientists have reconstructed the image of a first-century man who lived a life similar to and was around the age of Jesus."
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