The Reflectionary

Tempted… impulse purchase… no guilt. But what do my colour choices reveal about me?

“Ranunculus” are showy, opening from little compact buds to great globes above dense green foliage. Quite simply, I couldn’t resist these two plants: I only intended to buy some mushrooms & apples!

But these two flowers are polar opposites. Big, bright bold fireball and a subtle, delicate purple-edged snowball.

Part of me responds to both ends of the colour spectrum. I do love quiet, am quite happy doing the introverting that mellows my spirit, and quite frankly life without subtlety would be boring!

Yet… I also love fun, noise, and bright colours.

The fireball ranunculus caught my eye instantly (they could probably see the bright glow in Portsmouth!) and I knew I wanted it in my garden as soon as possible.

As an extrovert, I love being with people: they make me come alive, and energise life (up to the point when they become exhausting!!!).

Perhaps I should have different coloured eyeballs, one red and one blue… the active one could light up to indicate my dominant mood. There’s always a need for one pioneer to set any new trend.

Life could get interesting after the surgery.

Is it fair to say that most of us find we love conflicting opposites in colour and style? There are some of my friends who wince when they see my favourite shirts: and others who want to get one themselves!

This same range of choices can exist in other areas. Worship, for example. Some days I love bold brash bouncy brassy big songs- and at other times go for silence being golden. Is that wierd? OR just human? What if the world is full of grief and suffering (sounds familiar…) and I come to worship God. Shall I insensitively sing whoopie-do songs? Or only choose empathetic music and comforting words? I should get excited by and about God- and I should think humbly and deeply about the Lord I worship.

Human spirituality is complex because WE are complex beings. Am I a spiritual being wrapped in meat, or a physical being inhabited by spirit? Both, of course.

Think of church architecture and decoration. It can range from bare and functional through to ornate and even gaudy. Neither has a monopoly over worship (even if sometimes Christians do insist that only “we” do it properly).

Colour also reflects the essence of God, the Creator. We see in a fairly narrow bandwidth of light; other creatures may see far more or less than we do. Colour is one of the characteristics of Life that is intended to be good. Butterflies and flowers range from dull to spectacular. Even sunlight has different colour qualities depending on the angle of light and atmospheric conditions. The world is a colour-filled place.

Orange. Is the fruit named after the colour, or the colour named after the fruit? Does it matter? The fruit is sweet and deliciously packed with vitamin C.

Just think for a moment about the visions recorded in the Bible. Jesus is portrayed as coming on the clouds, riding a white horse… Then the throne room of the Heavenly city is filled with Light, and splendid colours and exotic materials (Revelation Ch1 & Ch 4). The New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21 is indescribable and utterly glorious!

Colours reveal things about our inner souls, our world- and our God. May the revelation be seen and enjoyed, and our lives reflect the complex simplicity of a God who is Holy Love. Enjoy the show!