By Rev. Ellen Dionna, MSW, LCSW
I could not let any collection of essays on spirituality rest without mention of the holiness of color. I am a person who sees the world saturated with the miracle of refracted light that gives us the exquisite range of the visible spectrum. Color saturates my soul. Color infuses me with wonder, delight, even awe. Color, for me, is simply a reason for living. When I have felt unbearably depressed, color has awakened me to life again. No wonder we see the world in grays when we believe we are unworthy, we see things as hopeless, we feel helpless in affecting our reality. Lest you be skeptical of the effect of color on the psyche—the soul—just think of the movie, “The Wizard of Oz”. The bleak hardship of the Kansas farm is portrayed in the pall of black, white, and those stark grays. Until the magic begins! The magic of Technicolor!
I have been known to frequent the lavish aisles of paint chips and brochures in hardware stores for the sheer pleasure of breathing in the lusciousness of a feast of color! I can browse for hours through the thousands of shades, tones, hues, of every color under the sun. Well, almost. If you want to glory in color there is no palette like Nature. Right not I gaze across the mown spring grass, a sweeping lawn of varied greens, to where forsythia fountains boldly gold and a scarlet cardinal perches among its spray. Heavenly pale pink blossoms on the weeping cherry waft against the gorgeous magenta crabapple. Purple azaleas surround the indigo ceramic birdbath, backdrop for the verdigris St. Francis statue. Spring’s fantasy and Autumn’s blaze.
Color is a part of the holiness of Beauty. Color arouses passion. Immerse yourself in colors you love, contemplate their impact on your life. Surround yourself with colors that commune with your soul.
Essay excerpt from SPIRITUAL SAMPLER by Ellen Dionna
Compassion