WHAT COLOR IS PASSION? 

OBVIOUS ANSWER: RED

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “What Color Is Passion? Obvious Answer: Red.”

When I read today’s gospel - Luke 12:49-53 - where Jesus is saying he has come to bring fire to the earth - and it’s going to blaze. When I hear Jesus saying he’s going to light a fire under people which will get them moving, I can hear Jesus’ passion. I can picture his face getting red. Why?

What color is passion? What is the color of fire? Red. Obviously.

RED: THE COLOR OF REVOLUTION

LENIN

When I read today’s gospel I think back to times I’ve read about Lenin - Vladimir Illich Ulyahov. His brother Alexander was executed - hung -  in 1887 being part of a plot to overthrow the Tsar in Russia. Vladimir became one of many people who were part of the same hopes to overthrow the government. He was exiled to Siberia for 3 years - not in prison - but in a small town. He was able to leave - after his times was up - but he could not return home. So he went  to the West. In his exile in Germany, Lenin was part of a newspaper called The Spark - Iskra in Russian. It had its best results when smuggled back into Russia. It’s motto was, “From a spark a fire will flare up.” Other issues were written in Munich and also London. He came back to Russia after the February 1917 revolution which overthrew the Tsar. His name became Lenin along this journey. He became leader of the Soviets after the October 1917 revolution.

Lenin died in 1924 - and slowly was followed by Stalin.  Blood flowed - and the color of blood is red.

The color of the Soviet Flag from 1923 till 1991 was red.

The center of Moscow was Red Square.

Red is the color of revolution and passion.

Red was the color of Mao’s revolution in China as well. The Chinese flag was red. It still is. The color of Mao’s Little Book of Maxims was red.

Red it the color of passion and revolution and change. Red is the color of  courage to change and the willingness to lay down one’s life for a cause.

The color of the French revolution in both 1792-93 and also 1848 was red. Guillotines were painted red or made of red wood. Women who came to cheer the executions - to see heads chopped off and roll - wore red caps - called “Phrygian Caps” - or red liberty caps.

Red is the color of blood and fire.

I read the Koran quite a bit - and it’s often talking about fire - burning opposition.

Red is the color of passion - being on fire.

FOLLOWING JESUS

Jesus is called a revolutionary at times. In today’s gospel - Luke 12:49-53 -  we hear about fire and division. Yet we know from several other texts that he didn’t want to kill others. We know that at other times he says to put away the swords - to cool it - to calm down - to eliminate anger and hostility and rage - and to be at peace.

He said if my mission was to shed blood - to kill - to start and army - my father would have sent me angels and angels. [Cf. Matthew 26: 47-56; Luke 22: 47-53; John 18: 1-11]

This revolutionary called Jesus came to change the world a different way. In fact, it looks like he lost - becoming a martyr - whose color is red - when he was executed on the cross - and his blow flowed.

Red is not the only color. There’s also blue - and other colors.

Peace is more blue - like the blue waters - which can cool us down.

Jesus is often dressed in different colors: red, while and blue - sometimes all at once like an American flag - but not arranged like an American flag.

FAMILY DIVISION

Some people find it difficult to hear Jesus say in today’s gospel that if you follow him  you run the risk of being ostracized by one’s own family. I wince when I read that. Yet as I think about it I get it.  If any of us went home and told our folks we were going to become Scientologists or Muslims or Jehovah Witnesses - we would understand today’s gospel clearly. So those who followed Jesus ran the risk of being alienated from their family.

Question: are we so passionate about Jesus Christ - that others will avoid us - or ostracize us. “Here comes the nut”?

Today’s first reading from Ephesians 3:  14-21 tells what a relationship with Jesus is like. Ephesians announces the call to experience the love of Jesus Christ  - its breadth, its length, its height, its depth. It’s a love that surpasses knowledge.

Paul experienced that love. It energized him. It fired him up. He because passionate about it. How about us?

When people heard Paul speak, they saw red and wanted to get rid o him. When people saw Paul preach, they saw him fired up, all red with passion, on fire for Christ.

Jesus was his passion.

Red is the color of passion.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “What Color Is Passion? Obvious Answer: Red.”

When we read the life of Jesus - we come into the presence of a Man of Passion - a Man on Fire with the love of God our Father.  Do we see and feel that passion in us?

oooooo

Abstract Painting Red - on top [1952] by Ad Reinhard (1913-1967)