The Power of Purple
Rev. Jes Kast
Day 1 of 5
A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us. Acts 16:14-15
Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender. – Alice Walker
Purple has long been the color symbolizing the celebration of International Women’s Day. The history of purple dates back to 1908 from the Women’s Social and Political Union in the UK helped to inaugurate the first #IWD in 1911. Since then, purple decorates this day signifying justice and dignity for women.
Lydia was a woman in the Bible who was a seller of purple cloth. She was the leader of her household, a business owner, and her cloth was of purple hues. In the ancient world, there were three common hues of purple: violet, scarlet, and a blue purple. Purple, often in Scripture, represents royalty, and one can even interpret purple as meaning Divine Goddess.
Purple is power.
Violet is valorous.
Lavender is lion-hearted.
Wear your hues of purple today. Wear them with dignity, knowing the power of the God of the universe pulses through your very being. Wear purple, knowing that we celebrate women around the world whose stories are different than our own. We celebrate women who are leading in governmental positions. We celebrate women in small villages who provide their households with enough food through the labors of their own small business. We celebrate women advancing in careers traditionally dominated by men. We celebrate women who write and who’s way with words create new worlds of inspiration for us all. We celebrate women who preach, who teach, and who make music. We celebrate women today, and we wear different shades of purple to signify the many diverse stories of advancing equality of women around the world.
No matter who you are, put on lavender and purple, and remember Lydia and all the women of the world today as we work for greater equity across the globe!
Prayer: God, anytime I see purple today, help me to thank you for the women in my life and commit to ensuring their advancement in their goals. Amen.
Rev. Jes Kast