European painters have traditionally depicted Jesus as white, which was seen as a symbol of the people they worshipped thousands of years ago. Ethiopians, on the other hand, painted Jesus to look like them, with a darker complexion. However, in recent years, the leaders of the Orthodox church, influenced by European norms, have abandoned the darker depiction of Jesus in favor of the white-blonde one. This is a sad development, particularly for children who may struggle with their confidence when their own image is not represented in the religious iconography they are exposed to.
