Purple is for Lent

 3/30

for Lent....

Today it’s just purple for Lent. Purple a color of reflection, of repentance. Also of royalty.  The color of the robe put on Jesus by the soldiers to mock him. The t-shirt is from the 2020 Presbyterian Church USA General Assembly.  It was supposed to have been in Baltimore but the COVID pandemic forced the denomination to hold its first “virtual” GA. Its theme was “From Lament to Hope.” Why purple? If you’re looking for Baltimore colors, you’ve got the Orioles black and orange and the Maryland flag with black and gold and red and white and then you’re left with the NFL Baltimore Ravens purple and black. So the purple is clearly from the Ravens. Beyond their traditional toughness and the fact that they are rivals of my hometown Steelers, you’ve got to love a team named for an Edgar Allen Poe poem.  (He once lived in my neighborhood, across the street from one of my church's predecessor congregations.)  Intriguingly, the PCUSA is keeping the same theme for the year’s hybrid Assembly, with committees meeting  in the Louisville, Kentucky national office and plenaries on ZOOM. Perhaps keeping the same theme reflects the fact that we’re still struggling with the pandemic. The time between assemblies feel like a blur. Much business just postponed to this Assembly.  And now on top of that, there’s a war to worry about. Our lament continues.  Hope ahead.