“The Color Purple”—one
of my favorite movies. The remembrance of it struck me
as Advent approaches. Advent, the season of preparation
to get our hearts ready for the joy of the birth of the
Savior, is often overlooked because of the increasing
push from retailers to get Christmas shopping going and
make sure that there will be good profits for the year.
I’m quite sympathetic
to the retail industry here. For many businesses, Christmas
shopping is the make or break time. Without good sales,
many will go under. So I say, “Shop well and enthusiastically”
for the sake of our economy.
But to get back to “The
Color Purple,” I also consider the need for the
church to address this season with a different perspective.
Churches observing the liturgical year dress their altars
with blue or purple, not because such are the color of
royalty, but because they represent a willingness to question
one’s own righteousness. The big question for this
season is not, “How much will I get for Christmas”
or even the nobler, “How much shall I give this
Christmas?” but the more global question of: “Does
the world need a Savior?” It becomes a time to enlarge
one’s social conscience, to be more aware of suffering
and disparity of privilege in the world, and to enlarge
our receptiveness to transformational giving and service.
And so again, I think of the
movie, “The Color Purple.” A couple of poor
black sisters, growing up in degrading poverty and abuse,
found their comfort in their love for each other. They
were separated and unable to communicate for years by
one man’s evil intentions, yet independently from
one another sought lives of dignity and faithfulness.
There is a beautiful reconnection scene at the end of
the movie when they were finally able to see each other
again. In that scene, we get a glimpse of our heavenly
hope when we see God face to face. That privilege becomes
ours by the gift of the Savior. So let us take this time
to “Prepare the Way of the Lord” and be especially
sensitive to the suffering and darkness present in the
world. This way, when the light comes, we will be able
to receive it with all joy.
