The Color Purple

To teach young children about the church year, there is a lovely lesson showing the year as a circle, a circle of colors. Red for Pentecost, green for the long green growing season that comes after Pentecost, white for Christmas and Easter, and purple for the two seasons of preparation, Advent and Lent. Purple is a "royal" color. During Advent we are preparing for the coming of The King as a baby, while in Lent we prepare for the coming of the risen Lord, the King of Kings at Easter.

In the ancient world the dye used to make purple came from a small shellfish in the Mediterranean. Obviously it took a lot of them to obtain any quantity at all. Being rare, it was therefore costly. For this reason only the most elevated in society could afford to be clothed in purple raiment, so it came to be associated with royalty alone. There's a lady mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles; her name was Lydia. She was a dealer in purple and helped Paul in his mission work. I think I've always felt something of a kinship with that lady of long ago, that Lydia, whose work was also with color.

Daniel 5.7 - Whoever reads the writing on the wall and tells me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor with a gold chain around his neck.

Luke 16.19 - There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously everyday.

Jeremiah 10.9 - They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, and give them to skillful goldsmiths who make their idols; then they clothe these gods in kingly purple robes that expert tailors make.

John 19. 2 & 5 - And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe; then Jesus came forth wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, "Behold the man!"

Acts 16.14-15 - One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul. And when she was baptized with her whole household, she besought us saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16.40 - Paul and Silas then returned to the home of Lydia where they met with the believers and preached to them once more before leaving town.