Bringing God-Colors to Light

 

Photo by Adam Gonzales on Unsplash

You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.  – Matthew 5:14 MSG

Recently I’ve become fascinated with stained glass windows.  In many churches, they’re the most colorful part of the sanctuary—sometimes the only colorful part.  One of the reasons for that is the teaching of the Swiss reformer Huldrich Zwingli.  In response to the ornateness of Catholic churches, Zwingli felt that a plainer church would have less to distract the congregation from focusing on God.  Maybe so, but I find the plainness to be the distraction.

In the Bible there are a few descriptions of visions in which people meet God.  The settings are never plain.  They’re imaginative and colorful and filled with sights that cause awe and wonder.  Maybe Zwingli felt the church shouldn’t try to compete with that.  But I think the church would do well to reflect those colorful visions of our creative God.

Of course, “God-colors” are more than stained glass windows and fantastic visions.  The world is filled with color, both literally and figuratively.  There are more than 400,000 different kinds of flowers in the world, and they come in all sorts of different colors.  There are 10 million colors and 18 decillion variations of color.  No wonder the paint companies keep coming out with new shades to paint with.

Our sporting events are narrated by color commentators who help us interpret the actions happening in the game we’re watching.  After a political speech, the commentators color our understanding of the words said by giving us their perspective.  There are potentially as many different perspectives as there are listeners.

Maybe God-colors are less tangible, less visible.  The essence of God is goodness.  1 John says that God is love.  Bringing out those colors would be to do good things, love one another, notice the goodness and love in one another, and encourage each other to be compassionate, considerate, and kind.

Bringing out the God-colors might also be shining light on the ways and places that people are being hurt or mistreated.  In Acts 16, the magistrates have Paul and Silas beaten and imprisoned.  The next day they seem to regret their decision and tell the jailer to let them go free, but Paul refuses to leave in secret.  He wants the world to know that something wrong has happened, so he makes some noise about it, bringing the issue to light.

In my own life, I fight plainness and resist dull and drab and beige and gray.  I enjoy color. It helps my mood.  It feels more fun.  It feels more like God to me.

What does “God-colors” mean to you?

Star Word 2024 - Prep for 2025

If you follow me, you've probably noticed that I write about star words twice a year...at the end and at the beginning. (One year I recapped all my star words here.) This year I'm a bit late, and I don't have my new star word yet, so here's what I usually write at the end: a recap of my year with my 2024 word "gratitude."

As usual, I wasn't thrilled with this word when I got it.  Hadn't I already spent enough time talking and thinking about gratitude?  I've even been processing the idea of toxic gratitude.  When depression is hitting hard, do not tell me that "there's always always always something to be thankful for."  There were many years during which I would agree about being always thankful, and probably even quoted Paul's letter to the Thessalonians which says to "be thankful in all circumstances" (1 Thes. 5:18).  If I ever did that to you, I'm sorry.

Unfortunately, Paul's words have been overused and abused, and I don't think the average white middle-class American has much understanding of the kinds of circumstances Paul had encountered, anyway.  I know I haven't experienced war or jail or shipwreck or whipping, and I hope I never do.  But I also hope I'm better at having empathy than I used to be, and better at just listening.

It may have happened this year that I got in the habit of ending blog posts and sermons by saying, "Thanks, God."  So I guess the gratitude has found its way in at least a little bit.

I used to be somewhat religious about writing thankfulness lists in my journals, and writing thank-you notes to people.  Now I'm more likely to send a text or email. I think I'm probably more likely to be thankful in the moment than in looking back to write a list.  And maybe that's better anyway.

Only God knows for sure.

Thanks, God.

Sabbatical Sililoquy on Showers

Photo by Caleb Wright on Unsplash 

Today I took a shower. Generally that's not terribly significant, but during this sabbatical I haven't taken showers as often.  Which got me thinking...showers are almost always good for thinking...

1) Whenever I wait to long to get a shower, I really need it. I can tell, even though I tend to put it off. (I'm fine. It's fine.) I could tell I really needed this sabbatical too. 

2) Showers are for dealing with our physical dirt. This sabbatical has helped me deal with spiritual and emotional dirt. (Yeah, I wasn't as fine as I was telling myself.)

3) Showering is a bit wonky at our house because the main floor bathroom only has a tub. The shower in the basement is fab, but it's not that convenient to trudge down to the basement for a shower. We're finally addressing this problem, admitting to ourselves that it's really not as ok as we pretend, and hopefully by the time this sabbatical is over, we'll have a real shower on the main floor.

4) I am thankful to have any shower. Not everyone does. Some food banks have added public showers because of this. And laundry facilities. Some churches have washers and dryers too, so people can do their laundry while they're at church. 

My small town doesn't have a laundromat (aka washateria) or public transportation. I wonder how people manage? 

There's an old adage that says cleanliness is next to godliness. It's kind of a weird saying, really. Sounds kinda judgy. But lovingly offering the gift of free showers and laundry is kindness, and kindness is definitely Godly. 

Things to think about.

Thanks, God.