Jesus was not black nor was he white; He was genetically Semetic an came from a region where it is fairly certain that his complexion would have been olive/brown-toned. His hair was probably wavy, thick and dark. Just look at the inhabitants of that region today…Many of the portraits commissioned by the Church and others often reflect their own thoughts and surroundings. And many of the earliest icons reflect an appearance of a Jesus who is clearly Semitic. There are also many apparitions and paintings from the far East to Mexico that depict both Our Blessed Mother and the Christ Child in a way that is familiar to the inhabitants of those regions.
This is pretty much what I would have thought. Jesus was a Galilean Jew, and would have had the ethnic characteristics typical of that geographical region for his time. Jesus was a real person, at a real point and place in history. I would have figured Jesus would have looked like you outlined, swarthy skin tone, dark hair, brown eyes etc, with hair-style and apparel typical of the the region and Jewish custom at that time. As some one else pointed out, probably handsome by the standards of his community at the time.
So if you want to speak of Jesus’ human nature,or indeed the historical Jesus, then it would probably be appropriate to speak of him in this terms.
The divine nature of Jesus, and cultivating a relationship of faith with the Son of God is a different matter I think. I think people are free to see Jesus, individually and personally in whatever way it happens to manifest itself. (Others have alluded to the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin to support this argument, so no need to repeat)
Jesus’ divine and human natures were intertwined, so is it appropriate to separate the two? In the accounts of the gospels, such as the Transfiguration, Jesus’ appearance changed before the eyes of the Apostles who witnessed it. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared, apparently as a different man, as he was not immediately recognised by those who previously knew him. In the upper room, when he appeared as his former self, even the Apostles remained incredulous. Perhaps getting caught up with appearances is deceptive, and becomes self-defeating.
John: 28-29 - Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him: You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. ***
That we need to ‘see’ something as an aid to faith, is simply a sign of our own human weakness. Allow others their weaknes, for we all have our own. If a painting of a ‘black’ Jesus leads someone to God, then the Holy Spirit must surely be at work. If you have a relationship with Jesus, surely an unfamiliar, yet respectful decpiction of Our Lord, would not be cause to lead you away from him, or your fellow man.
“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” Thomas a Kempis
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