True Colors of Faith: Red

Unfortunately last night I had to forego the Interfaith service for Tallahassee's LGBT Pride Week in favor of going to my Education for Ministry class. With the events that have unfolded at St. John's, I felt it was better for me to be in class. Insert heavy sigh here.
So, I missed the presentation about our colors of faith... which took place at Temple Israel, and included Pagans and Buddhists and Christians and Jews. Don't know if there were any Muslims or not, or how many Christian groups were represented but I imagine most were what I would call "the usual suspects".
Even though I wasn't there, I know that the general theme of the evening was "True Colors" and that different faith traditions took a color and did a little reflection on said color. I loved the concept, and had toyed with offering to stand in as the representative of Tallahassee's Episcopal Churches and our all-inclusive welcome of "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You"... which today in our fair city no longer needs an asterisk. But since I wasn't there, and have free reign over this blog, I figured I would take this week to reflect on ALL the colors of the rainbow... beginning with "Red".
For those of us in the Episcopal Church, red is a special color. Red stoles and red altar decorations signifies special events in the life of the church, most notably the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit blows into the upper room and settles on those present to give them tongues on fire with the word of God in every language of any hearer in the place. It is the opposite of what happens in Genesis when God smacks down the Tower of Babel and scatters the people to and fro and confuses their language. Now there is a common bond, many languages that are as universal as notes on a page of music. All are gifted with the Word.
Likewise, God is continuing this work of gifting all people and calling us to see each other fully and completely as members of the human race... connected and undivided by labels and artifical barriers. The Holy Spirit blew away the fear that kept those in the upper room huddled together, and gave them the new breath they needed to go out and be their true selves as advocates for the unconditional love of God as was expressed through Jesus Christ. We are still being called by God to come out of our closets, our rooms, our prisons of fear, and show our true selves as believers that this Love, this God, is for everybody.
It is appropriate that red is also the color for priestly ordinations and the beginning of new ministries. It is the root chakra in Eastern traditions. Red is the starting point. It is about grounding. Grounding in the Divine, and embracing the essence of that divinity planted in each of us.