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I’ll begin by saying I’m not actually wearing any.
Apparently it’s “been decided that on october 20th we will wear purple in honour of the 6 gay boys who have committed suicide recently due to homophobic abuse in their homes and schools. purple represents spirit on the lgbtq flag and that’s exactly what we’d like all of you to have with you : spirit. please wear purple on october 20th.” (taken from the facebook event)
I’m generally a fan of anything that promotes positive change in the world and certainly this qualifies. Standing up against bullying, bigotry, and homophobia is not only right and good but the kind of real love in action that this world needs. So picking a day to spread awareness is a good thing.
However,
Let’s not love simply because it’s trendy and easy. Or, you can change your clothes but that doesn’t change the world.
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for others. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees another in need, yet closes their heart against him, how does God’s love abide in them? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3)
Love is sacrificial, it’s costly, it’s messy, it’s about action, and it’s personal. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in full support of creating awareness – it’s necessary and awesome; but throwing on a purple shirt is really no more than word and talk. You can walk down the halls of your school feeling good about yourself because you were bold enough to wear purple today and hopefully through this the schools will become a safer place, but ultimately love requires you to break down the walls that separate us as people and selflessly enter into another’s life with no agenda or expectation and serve.
“And the Word (Jesus, love) became flesh and lived among us,” (John 1) ”…[and] made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant…” (Phil. 2) “…not that we have loved [him] but that he loved us,” (1 John 4) “…and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him…” (2 Cor. 5) “Therefore be imitators of God… and walk in love.” (Eph. 5)
As Christ loved, let us love. Unashamedly, indiscriminately, sacrificially; each and every day.
