I am very interested in colors. I have read a little on how colors are made and the psychology behind colors is also a subject I find absolutely fascinating. Colors are deliberately chosen to help people feel more relaxed, or hungry, or excited, and color experts work fulltime, in advising clients about which colors to use to sell a product, etc.

This same use of color is used in the Bible. In the picture language of Scripture God is always referred to as being white. Just a few examples are:

In the Old Testament there are many references to God as being white. The prophet Daniel describes God as he saw him in a vision this way, " The Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow, the hair of his head was white like wool." (Daniel 7:9).

The same was true of Jesus, God's Son. In Matthew 9 three disciples witnessed Jesus' transfiguration, and they recounted later "His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them".

St John, describing his heavenly visions recorded in Revelation, at the very end of the Biblical account, continually reiterated this. One case is seen in Rev. 1:14 where John says that he could see God, sitting on a throne, and "His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow."

That began me thinking about the color white, and why God, and God's Son, Jesus, would be described as white. Traditionally white represents purity, goodness, and innocence. God is total goodness, and complete innocence. Consequently God can never have a negative thought towards us.

Hospital staff for centuries wore white to imply cleanliness and complete sanitation. God is totally pure, and this is why our Creator is also healing. He helps to heal our wounds by taking away our soul infections (and sometimes our physical ones too!). Our natural body's instinct is to fight infection, not succumb to it. Watch a cut on your arm. If you keep it clean and dry, it will soon begin to heal, and new skin will replace the torn area. Our skin replaces itself over and over, to keep infections out. God is like that. He renews and replaces our useless dreams and plans, and inspires us with fresh new ideas and loves and desires which will bring us life. He never wants us to shrivel up and die. He wants to empower us to live healthier lives in every way we can imagine.

White conveys meaning in a design, often softening an appearance in clothing combinations. It combines well with every other color, never detracting from any shade. Our Lord is like that too. This One who loves us unconditionally, gives our lives meaning and depth, adding a whole new dimension to living. Even during the leanest times of our lives physically, or working at a dull and boring job, we can, through Christ, be living at peace, harmony and with a great sense of knowing we are doing what is pleasing to our Maker. What meaning that gives to every task and every situation!!!

In watching out for signposts or slogans it is always extremely easy to read those that have a white background, with colored lettering or designs. So it is with our Lord. With the white of our Lord as the backdrop upon which we paint our lives, everything we are and do comes into sharp focus, and our personalities come 'alive'. They are not confusing nor misleading. They stand out clearly from the crowd. Let us support and enable each other to stand up and be counted, and to be seen in our world so that we can display the beauty and goodness of God to all who pass our way.

An artist I know well commented recently that white is a combination of every color of the spectrum, reflected. It reflects all light, and consequently is worn a great deal during hot weather. If we apply that to our Maker, we can understand that all God can do is reflect. Reflecting means really 'to give back'. A mirror is a reflector. What a beautiful picture of God? He gives back, and gives and gives again. No one can ever out-give God. God is the Giver of all good gifts, because God can never take. If all God does is reflect, as does white, then taking is impossible for our Eternal Source. As white reflects every color in the spectrum, so God reflects back to us an incredible variety of all the beautiful gifts and qualities which only God may detect within us. How encouraging!!

God's total acceptance of us enables him to give back goodness, purity, innocence, gentleness, kindness, because that is all God is. The fruit, which we will show, as we become more and more like God, are those qualities of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. All of these are giving qualities. They are at all times positive, helpful, and encourage the best in all of us. Let us pursue God's character with all our hearts, and aim today, and everyday, to give something of the pure white radiance of our God into the world in which we find ourselves.

C 2004. Christine. M. Jones.