The Hue of Heavenly Hosts

With carols playing in the background we busily worked to create ornaments for our Promise Trees (from the WWM Promise Keeper Christmas book). We glued sequins to tiny globes and applied glitter to the angels wings as we talked about stories of promise that point us to Christ.

Reaching for a crayon, one of the girls sitting near me said, "I'm going to color my angels with white faces--like the color of God."

Like the color of God? The comment startled me. I sputtered something I can't fully remember now-- Something about how God is not white, or black, or brown like people are, and Jesus was from the Middle East, and God created and loves people of all different races. . . I babbled what I hoped were clarifying, affirming words. I wondered how she felt about her cinnamon skin as she imagined a light-skinned God surrounded by a choir full of Caucasian angels.

Since that class two weeks ago, I've been thinking about Biblical art. Not long ago I posted about the power of images in shaping our faith and how important it is that kids (and adults) have a visual vocabulary of faith that helps them explore and understand God. Now I know how very true that is. Art takes liberty in putting shape to words and filling in unwritten elements of the story like posture, gestures, facial expression, skin tone, age--even the twinkle of an eye. In doing so it can expand or narrow our vision of God. It can make us feel closer or more distant to the God of love.

I incorporate a couple different children's storybook Bibles into our children's church and Sunday school programs. These are Bibles that I like because the people are not so pale as they are in many kids' Bibles. But with one of them there is a bold exception: the angels. They all look the same--fashioned after Fabio. They are tall with cartoon muscles, sparkling teeth, and gleaming blond hair. But I'm very careful to make sure that every time we read a story that includes these angels we pause and wonder what angels really look like. We talk about how God's people are black and white, and brown, and so God's angels probably are too.

No matter how well-intended those conversations are, now I see that they don't change the images that remain in kid's minds as I turn the pages and close the book. They are pictures that work against the powerful meaning of Christmas! Instead of celebrating a God who is with us, who in Christ became one of us, these images lead to questions like, is there anyone in heaven like me? Do I belong there? Does God love me, too?

I'm paying much closer attention to art now, because none of our kids should have to wonder these things. The next time you're at a Christian bookstore, brouse the shelf of young children's bibles and see what you find. How many pictures include heavenly hosts in hues of brown? How many depict Christ in a way that's faithful to his heritage? Which child gets to sit on Jesus' lap as he welcomes the children? The answer won't go unnoticed by little eyes.