Day 147 "Walking in the Diversity of Color"

Ask a painter how certain colors like pink, brown, green, and aqua are created. The painter will tell you that they come from the mixture of colors coming together. Do you know what makes the colors pink, purple, brown, or aqua? Pink comes from mixing white and red together. Red and blue make purple. Red, yellow, and blue make brown. Aqua is obtained by combining blue and green or a lot of blue adding in some yellow. The world is awash in a kaleidoscope of color. But ask the same painter what colors come together to produce red, blue, and yellow, and the painter will tell you that they cannot be made from other colors because these colors are known as the three primary colors- they are their own color. Can you imagine what our world would look if it was limited by these three primary colors? What is your favorite color? There is a good chance that it isn't red, yellow, or blue. by itself.

The Color Wheel

A color wheel shows how colors are related. On a color wheel, each secondary color is between the primary colors that are used to make it. Orange is between red and yellow because orange is made by mixing red with yellow. What goes between secondary colors and primary colors? Intermediate, or tertiary, colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color that is next to it. Red-orange, yellow-orange and yellow-green are some intermediate colors.

So what is my point about color? Color adds beauty and diversification to our lives. Without such variety, our expressions would be limited, our experiences minimized. We need diversification of color to truly express our diversity of emotions.

Like colors, people bring great diversity to life's experience. So, then, why is it that so many people put forth great effort to minimize the value of others and put them down while seeking to maximize their own self importance? Such effort diminishes life for all of us.

We are, indeed, our brother's keeper if we seek to live by love. And, yes, black lives do matter. Greatly! As does every other life that graces and walks upon this Earth. Yes, there has been great inequality and injustices committed over the years. Yes, things need to change. But when the movement for change unravels the very fabric for which it was intended, the heart and the message of the movement is lost in its delivery. Destroy businesses by fire and destruction-even though some of those business were own and operated by African-Americans, does little to foster the importance and justification for the movement of "Black Lives matter." Haul off a preacher in a choke hold through the streets of "Chaz," a man of God who has been attempting to preach about love, leaves little support for these people who protest and decry police brutality. Render videos of intolerance by those who claim, "If one more statement is uttered that 'all lives matter,' someone's blood will be spilled," makes a mockery out of the American Dream and make the claimant a childish fool. When the cries of "Black Lives Matter" begins to drown out the rights of other innocent people, the movement fades in its good will. When ordinary people, far from involvement in any atrocities or injustice, are considered by the movement to no longer have personal rights over their own property, clarity and vision have begun to blur. People are no longer allowed to to think their own thoughts or have their own beliefs, "You are either with us or against us." Fractured and beginning to break apart, our nation is desperately in need of something or someone to bring us back together. Where fear reigns, love grows cold.

History shows us and bears witness that man is incapable of creating paradise here on Earth. There is too much ego and too much self-centerness going on among us. What is needed is a voice that speaks from outside of our world but one that remains intimately involved and understands who we are as people, and our need for love. Although the world would reject the idea, Jesus Christ fits the bill perfectly.

Is it any wonder that Jesus never spoke about politics, moral injustices, or of the lewd and immoral acts undertaken by the rulers of the Roman Empire? What he spoke of was love. He breathed hope upon those who would listen to him and inspired a message of inclusion and caring, one which was open to seeing and providing for the needs of others, communicating the message that life isn't about serving self and providing only for one's needs, but that the greatest joy in life comes through loving and caring about others.

"For by the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself

more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in

accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one

body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so

in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." Romans 12:3-6

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:9-10

When fear raises its ugly head, having been awakened by violence and destruction, love for one's fellow man falls to the wayside. What may have begun as a righteous journey

quickly defaults and is derailed by the condition of the human heart. Until the human heart can beat to the sound of unconditional love, man is incapable of true harmony.

Jesus came to show us how to hitch up and reconnect our hearts to love. Not as the world gives, but as God gives.

"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love." John 14:9

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:12-13

"Instead, I have called you friends." John 15:15

Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sinful hearts and to reconcile us back into a loving relationship with God. In doing so, he provided the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit, to come live within us and transform our hearts and our ways. When we begin to see God's unconditional love and grace for our lives, our hearts will begin to move in a direction towards seeing all the various colors of Earth's people coming together to form a beautiful tapestry, interwoven by God with the threads of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control. Listen to the world's voices and you will be drawn into yourself. But if you seek out God's voice and hasten to his instruction, you will be used to bring life, not take it.

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to

indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law

is summed up in a single command: Love our neighbor as yourself."

Galatians 5:13-14

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A well known TV commercial ends by asking the viewers, "What's in your wallet?" I ask you, today, "What's in your heart?"

"Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law."

Romans 13:10

In his love, I'll see you tomorrow...

"Carpe momentum in love" (Seize the moment in love)