Colors of Love and Spring by Betty Mason Arthurs

 

What is the color of love? The color of spring? Blue? Yellow? Red? Green?

Is it the color of a radiant pink garden rose or the fuzzy yellow of a honey bee?

Perhaps love is a rainbow of colors captured when a couple in love say their wedding vows; the satin white of her wedding dress and the dancing hazel eyes of her groom; the sweet gauzy pink of the flower girl’s dress as she scatters rose petals down the aisle; the radiant pink of the garden roses in her bouquet; the silken gray of the joyous tears shed by a grandmother dressed in paisley dress and blue shawl; the groomsmen in black tuxes, short and tall.

A dairy farm shows off its kaleidoscopic colors of spring as a farmer tills his fields through the color of hayseed which is ready to plant and feed his livestock through a bitter winter. The herd of Guernsey cows frolic in a bronze-colored dance when released from their winter sojourn in the barn. Green is the color of spring for the farmer to sow his fields with yellow corn and maize to fill the huge white silos, sentries around the red barn. Yellow tractors roar throughout long, sunny days up and down black, rich soil in perfect rows. Speckled chickens lay brown and white eggs for a hungry breakfast crowd.  Yes, love is the color of a hard-working farmer in his fields and the red dairy barn. And spring planting time is the color green.

A mother snuggles her newborn babe, her heart bright with a light blue glow that only a new mom can know. His red, scrunched-up face and black wispy hair is to her eyes the beauty of new life she sheltered in her womb for nine months. Intimate love between the father and mother created this miracle of life.

Easter colors in spring are dyed robin-blue eggs in white baskets and brown chocolate bunnies ready to be devoured by girls dressed like Cinderella and boys in dark blue hero capes. Their joy permeates the air with splashes of gold and purple joy.

The first Easter of long ago started in an olive garden so dark and black, when Jesus wept in agony knowing what lay ahead. Soldiers in silver raiment with metal spears and swords beat Jesus until he bled. Red was the color of his blood and shredded skin from the whipping he endured until his visage was marred and unrecognizable. The Jesus, who created all the colors of the universe, crucified on a splintered, blood-caked cross. Jesus–who opened his black-and-blue arms in love for a world he formed–gave up his life with his final tortured cry, “It is finished.” 

Jesus’ resurrection that first Easter morning was a breathtaking flaming orange and purple sunrise which dawned in a blaze of colors and brought hope of eternal life to all mankind. Heavenly colors circled around the angels at the tomb of our risen Lord. Hearts blazed with eternal hope in a blinding bolt of lightning destroying the blackness of death and hell and brought radiant colors of love and spring.