I painted my front door red today. Bright, geranium red. I have always wanted a red door even before they were en vogue. Notice how many red front doors you see. About 15 years ago, all home improvement projects boasted a red front door. It has taken me 17 years to paint my door red because it is a very old door and I really liked the aged, distressed look. Fen Sui teaches it invites good energy into your house or something like that. Red doors can also mean the mortgage is paid off. In my case, I am painting my door at exactly the right time. We paid our mortgage off last year.
But I wanted a red door because I love red doors on churches. I am seriously thinking of becoming Episcopalian just so I can go to a church with a red door. I also have a love affair with the Book of Common prayer and I love, love, love high church. I also like the idea of serving real wine at Communion except I am allergic to tannins and I end up with a headache every time I drink a drop of red wine. I am guessing a good pinot gris would not go over very well. And history just thought the Council of Trent was contentious. Can you imagine the conversation over changing from red wine to white?
I also considered becoming Moravian for the coffee and if they served that every Sunday morning, I would never miss a Sunday. I would like to be Catholic because I love the liturgy.
I am learning that I would probably really enjoy being Orthodox too. They have very cool Easter traditions AND your godparents give you a pair of red shoes at your baptism. How cool is that? Just like Dorothy. Ruby red slippers and you just click your heels and you are back in Kansas again. I would have to be re-baptized to join the Orthodox church. Theologically that is insane, it took the first time, but I would do it for the shoes.
Talbots, one of my favorite shopping haunts, has red doors. In Medieval times, the north, south, east and west doors on churches were painted red to symbolize sanctuary. (I am guessing that most men would not think that Talbots is safe for any woman to go inside.) Once inside the doors of the church, no one could run you through with a sword. Those in need could not be harmed, and once inside their physical and spiritual needs could be met. Clearly, times have changed. I would not necessarily think of churches and safe havens synonymously. Churches are pretty dangerous places and they should be if we are to take the Gospel message seriously. So red church doors have a myriad of meaning. I can not recall ever seeing a red door on an evangelical church. Not sure why. But, I haven't. I have seen one on a Methodist church and Lutheran church. The Lutheran tradition traces their red doors back to Martin Luther. Apparently the door to Wittenburg Cathedral was red and he nailed his 95 theses right in the middle of the door. So for some Protestant churches the red is indicating their roots in the Reformation.
Red symbolizes the sacrificial blood of Christ that saves those who come to him. Red is also a reminder of the Passover and a sign of the Holy Spirit. Church doors began to be painted red as a way of remembering the ultimate sacrifice that others had made for their faith.
So for whatever the reason, churches have red doors and I love red doors. As an aside, the Church of England painted its doors blue because of the Virgin Mary. Her color is blue.
And now the door to my house is red. I have been told that my house is very, very peaceful and restful and welcoming. My brother says it reminds him of a bed and breakfast. I would like to think that anyone could come to my house and I would see to it that their physical and spiritual needs are met. I hope the red invites good energy into my house.
But no martyrs. To my knowledge, no one who has been in my house or owned my house was a martyr.
Churches should be dangerous spaces. I am not talking about physical danger but the kind of dangerous love that will change you. Jesus' message was so dangerous, so radical that it got him killed. Talk about politically incorrect. He was the epitome. I deeply suspect he would be in the same boat today with the religious establishment. I deeply suspect he would be turning some tables over.
The Gospel message was a message of radical love. The Daily Office reading yesterday the Sermon on the Mount. Talk about a tough sermon to sell. The key to a beautiful blessed life was spelled out in 10 verses. You will have a beautiful, blessed life if: you are meek, humble, contrite, merciful, poor, pure in heart and persecuted. Certainly not on the top ten character traits most humans strive for. But that is what his dangerous message said. Today, the Daily Office read my most favorite passage of all the gospels. It is found in John. Two people inquire of Philip, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip had to check it out with Andrew first, but once he got the ok, he took them to see Jesus. And what does Jesus tell them? He tells them that they must die to themselves if they wish to have life abundantly. Again, a tough sell. Later in John, after many disciples decided this whole dying to self thing was not for them, they left Jesus. Jesus turned to Peter and the twelve and asked if they would leave too? Peter, of course, supplied the ready answer. He said, "Where would we go?"
And my red door got me thinking about that today. Just how dangerous Jesus' message was and maybe we shouldn't think of churches as sanctuaries, but as catalyst for change. Maybe we should run through those red doors and pray begging prayers that we be changed into humble, meek, merciful, grateful, poor, mourning, contrite, pure, persecuted humans. Maybe the church has it all wrong and instead of being "safe", it demands your life. Maybe the red doors really mean danger. Danger in the sense, if you step through those door, and half hearted prayer for redemption, be ready to lose your life to gain your life. Be ready to bury self to find self. Be ready to love radically, serve radically and to change. And Jesus would not preach change if he didn't know that it is only way to a beautiful life. He would not preach radical service to your fellow man if he didn't know it is the only way to live. Truthfully, there just aren't better options.
All really is grace when you think about it and it causes such joy...
The nameless friend who left me an electric candle
Red paint
Paint brushes
Early summer
Tepid breezes
Maple trees that are not long for this world
Mulch
Snow shovels
Wheelbarrows
The smell of tomato plants
Tomato cages
Planting seed in the dark earth
Orange iced tea
Homemade pizza dough
Baseball games
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