Blog by Anne-Marie Dane
Psalm 36:10 For with You is the source of life; byby Your light we see light.
We are always working on color at ICP. We believe in the power of a colorful church. We look forward to unity in diversity, because we believe that God becomes more visible to the world. Revelation describes how all kinds of different peoples stand before the throne of God. It is striking that they are all dressed in white. That doesn’t seem so colorful… Until you consider the science of colors. God has made something in His creation in a brilliant way, so that it becomes visible how diversity is necessary to see God in His fullness.
Color is light
According to science (of physics), color is a light phenomenon. You see color because your brain ‘reads’ signals from your eyes when your eyes perceive light.
Black is not a color, it is the absence of light. A ‘black’ night sky is only black after it has become less and less light during the evening.
And white is not a color either. White light is light in which no color can be seen, but in reality it contains all colors. If you shine all visible colors of light with the same intensity on a white surface, or look at it directly, you will consider it white.
Why white light?
And why would we actually want to see white, from a spiritual perspective of course? We don’t necessarily want to see white. We want to see Jesus. For Jesus is the light. We want to see light. Instead of darkness. As John 1:4 says: In the Word was life and the life was light for men. And as Psalm 36:10 says: By Your light we see light.
In Matthew 17 you read how Jesus is with Peter, James and John on the mountain where they meet Moses and Elijah. Before their eyes Jesus changes form. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as the light. The disciples offer to honor Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, but God intervenes and makes it known that only Jesus deserves all the honor.
Another physics fact: The only light that is truly pure white is unfiltered sunlight.
Like the light radiating from Jesus’ face.
And creation (and its laws of nature) teaches us that we need ALL colors to see true white light.
The spiritual perspective
If, with all the diversity that there is in our people, we shine with the same strength (read: from unity) on a white object (read: Jesus), or look at Him ‘straight’ (in Spirit and truth), you will really see Him see Him as He really is.
It works both ways: we want to live in Your light, because through Your light we see light. And the light shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not prevail against it. And we want to come together in your presence with all colors and look at You, because through all that diversity, we see the real, complete image of the Light of the World, our Lord Jesus. The unfiltered Light, the purest form of white, which only arises when all colors participate.
