Good morning…
“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it,” writes Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple from Putnam County, Georgia. Purple. Why does purple so ignite the passion of God? I google the meaning of purple and streamline a ton of fascinating facts.
Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red, sparking creativity and wisdom, peace and mystery, dignity and independence. Purple is a color of sacred meaning with its rare occurrence in nature, making it one of the most expensive color dyes to create, associating it with royalty throughout history. Purple has a calming affect, uplifts the spirit, and nurtures sensitivity and imagination. It is connected with spirituality, the higher self, and aligns us with the whole of creation. Light purples represent healing energy, delicacy, and nostalgic feelings, while dark purples evoke feelings of gloom, sadness, and frustration. As the liturgical color of Lent, purple symbolizes pain, suffering, and mourning, and the United States Military awards the Purple Heart to soldiers wounded in battle. (https://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-purple/)
Before researching its meaning, I was drawn intuitively to purple as the wrapping paper color of our morning messages. Many of my past blog posts seem to personify the essence of purple. Pain mixed with peace. Life’s sacred amid life’s suffering. Our creativity birthing a calm connection to the whole of God’s creation. With deeper understanding, I love purple even more.
When I think back, purple has been a consistent color throughout my lifetime. Purple is the color of my bridesmaid dresses and wildflowers at our wedding in 1987. Purple is the artist’s choice of color on the butterfly wings in our 2010 picture book, Scared to Soar? (see “Books By Sue” tab on main page). Purple is the sweater I wore when I was filmed teaching women about transformation (see “Talks and Retreats” tab on main page). Purple is a primary background color behind the tree of life depicted on the main page of our website. The Color Purple is the musical that deeply touched me at the Fox Theatre last month, singing of the freedom that comes when our God-given gifts are unleashed and shared freely with the world (https://suetoyou.com/2017/11/04/wear-your-colorful-pants/). The rich purple of Lent marks my favorite season of the church year. Soaking in the deeper meaning of the color, I adore purple in a deep, wide way.
The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him (Mark 15:16-20, NIV).
When we are led away and twisted, pierced, struck, and spit on by life, purple is the robe we don with dignity as death to our old way is resurrected into God’s new way, forever and ever and evermore.
…Sue…
