COLORFUL WORSHIP
At the moment I don't remember who made the study, or why, but their efforts resulted in a concept which keeps disturbing me.
By some method they “discovered” that ancient Greek temples such as those we commonly think of as having always been either pristine white or gray where, instead, at one time, decorated in brilliant colors.
Such a possibility had never occurred to me.
From time-to-time, it might be a good thing for us to take time to re-evaluate our estimates of the way we think the world has been in the past.
We have, I think we would find we have made some poor choices in the past.
Today's designs today are more varied than in the recent past and often given to some use of exotic color. As a lure to encourage participation in worship services a bit of dramatic color could overcome much of the rather somber tone we associate with such sites be they formal cathedrals, churches, loose ramblers or wee kirks, or store-front mission points found so often in depressed, run-down urban areas.
One cannot deny that one attractive qualities of Nature involves hues, colors and gradations of tones. What better way to emulate the basic qualities of design as set by the Creator in the natural world about us than in his dwelling place among us?
In our constant attempts to interest newcomers in our form of government we use the word “Democracy” a great deal. It is not a new term. It is a rather ancient one - colorful, dramatic and alluring. Our form of government is a “republic” - not a “democracy” at all. One of its founder pointed it out and seemed to have some doubts about our ability to hold on to it.. We use the term as attractive coloring setting forth feature we routinely enjoy in a communal sense in our republic.
Las Vegas offers unusually low price on hotel room, services, food and drink as a way of getting more people to visit them more often, to stay longer and to spend more money in their main area of income production – the casinos. It has become established as colorful way - with the aid of ever present neon signs featuring all the colors of the rainbow -as one way of giving in one area in order to gain more in another.
If the ancient Greeks did, indeed, color their temples and other public buildings it may well be that those artistic people simply never discovered how to make a good, durable, long-lasting paint. Their imitation colors faded with the centuries and we may have been mis-reading their intentions all this time.
It may be wise of us to re-examine our own intentions from time to time. Mistakes or misjudgments have been made or we would not have some continuing problems demanding answers.
A .L.M. August 17, 2003 [c463wds]
