Looking Inside

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Today, we visited Museo de Cultura and were able to view art and artifacts from a wide range of time. The museum had many historical pieces as well as paintings of historic events and/or responses to the way they were affected. Many of the pieces of art were related to the Spaniards and when they entered into the country and the oppression they brought to the indigenous people. Because of the heavily practiced catholic tradition, many of the paintings/art was related to Jesus. In every single portrayal of Jesus, he was caucasian. I have noticed this before in other portrayals of Jesus, but today it struck me even more so. Taking notice to this, I was upset that this is the image of Christ that is typically given, when in reality, he lived in the Middle East, therefore likely would have had darker skin and hair and so on. As we went around to each piece displaying Jesus in variations stages of life/in various ways, I felt a sense of shame that the European culture depicted Jesus in such an ethnocentric way, without taking into account the possibility that it was not necessarily accurate. Being a caucasian female who has been blessed with endless opportunities, I feel a sense of guilt about what the conquistadors did to the indigenous people upon their arrival in the country, and how what they did has in turn affected me and the opportunities I have been able to have. With these feelings of guilt and shame after viewing a lot of art over the past few days related to the oppression and injustices experienced by the indigenous people groups, I can only reflect on how I may act from here on out. Ultimately, God is in control of it all, and I can love others, and work for his kingdom by using the gifts he has given me to break down barriers of injustice that I witness in the lives of others. However, it begins to be overwhelming if I as a human were to feel as if the weight of the world washy own to carry.

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