The Color Purple

If you are a regular reader, you know I avoid controversial subjects and politics. There are plenty of sites where you can get your fill of those topics. However, we are in a presidential election year in the US and so this seems a good time to bring this up. We take voting for granted here- they don't in other countries. The following is from December 16, 2005.

My students made birthday cards for my mother who will turn eighty this Sunday. A number of the kids asked me Mom's favorite color- I had to confess I did not know but I guessed green based on the clothes I remember her wearing. Red and white are popular shades during this Christmas season. Blue has always been my favorite but it has temporarily been superseded by a color I would never be caught dead wearing- purple. News accounts of the first Iraqi Parliamentary elections in years showed more than 11 million voters participated. That, in spite of internal squabbling, religious factions, and the threat of terrorist attacks at polling places. Apathy in our country where voting is made as painless as possible is rampant. We are lucky to have 40% voter turnout in Congressional elections in non-Presidential years. The Iraqi turnout- 70%! We are pampered but don't show up while they are threatened with death and turn out in mass. What caught my attention was the reaction of those who had cast their ballots. To mark those who had already voted, the index fingers of right hands were dipped in purple ink. There they were, proud and brave Iraqis proudly and defiantly raising their fingers to show they had fulfilled their patriotic duty. The Iraq question is a volatile one in American politics today but whatever side you fall on, you have to admire the purple fingered citizens who have the guts to give the political process a fighting chance. That's why today, I'm all about purple.

What marks the Christian? Paul said he carried the marks of Jesus on his body and the Holy Spirit would mark us as a seal. It might not be instantaneous but love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control should be visible in our lives to those with whom we spend significant hours. Peter tells us that if we live good lives, even non-believers will take notice and give praise to the Lord. Jesus preached that if our light shines, people will take notice. Little kids sing, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!" Guess which finger they hold up? The index finger of the right hand! There has to be a correlation there. In an evil world, it should be easy to identify the righteous, just as clearly as if we had our right index fingers dipped in purple ink.

Applicable quote of the day:
"The ballot is stronger than bullets."
Joseph A. Schumpeter

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com

E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com