PURPLE – The Color of Leadership

Purple through History

Throughout history, purple has been the color of royalty.  Purple dye was expensive because it was harvested from a special sea snail and was desired because of its rarity and longevity.   Purple was a sign of position, privilege and power.  In fact, Queen Elizabeth I would not allow anyone except close family members to wear purple.

Purple in the Bible

Purple is not even one of the primary colors.  Blue, red and yellow are the primary colors and orange, green and purple are simply the results of mixing two of the primary colors.  In the Bible, however, beginning in Exodus Chapter 25 and continuing throughout the rest of the book, purple is mentioned as one of the significant colors in the building of the tabernacle. The tabernacle was the place where God’s people would come to worship Him and the place where He would dwell among them throughout their wanderings the wilderness.

The order and relationship of Purple

In nearly every case, the list of colors in the tabernacle is given in the order blue, purple and scarlet (or crimson).  This makes perfect sense and is exactly as they appear in the spectrum of color.  Purple appears between blue and red because it is the blending of these two primary colors.  The order of and relationship between these colors is not only naturally significant, but it is spiritually and effectually important to our understanding of what it means to be in authority.  Let’s see how.

The meaning of Blue

From the website, Color-Meanings.com,  “Blue is a cool and calming color that shows creativity and intelligence. The color blue is a popular color among large companies, hospitals and airlines. It is a color that symbolizes loyalty, strength, wisdom and trust. Blue color meaning is also known to have a calming effect on the psyche. Blue is the color of the sky and the sea and is often used to represent these images. Blue is a color that generally looks good in almost any shade and it is a very popular color, especially among men. For your info, the color blue is my favorite color!

Blue is sincere, reserved and quiet, and does not like to make a big deal out of things or attract too much attention. Blue hates confrontation and likes to do things its own way. From a color psychology perspective, the blue color is reliable and responsible and radiates security and trust. You can be sure that the color blue can take control and do the right thing in difficult situations. The blue color needs order and planning in its life, including the way it lives and works.

Blue seeks peace and tranquility and promotes physical and mental relaxation. The color blue reduces stress and creates a sense of calmness, relaxation and order. Try and lie on your back and look up at the blue cloudless sky. Blue lowers metabolism. The paler the blue color, the more free we feel.

Blue is known to be good at one-way communication, especially communication with your voice – it’s the teacher, the public speaker. The color blue is your helper, savior, your friend in need. The blue colors success is defined by the quality and quantity of its relationships. It’s a giver, not a taker. Blue likes to build strong, trusting relationships, and is deeply hurt if the trust is betrayed. The blue color is not a good color when applied to food, since there are too few blue food items in the nature, and that suppresses the appetite.“

Blue in the Bible

Biblically speaking, blue represents heaven (the sky is blue) and love because it evokes trust, protection and faithfulness.  Blue represents the love and mercy of God in contrast to the pure radiant white and glowing gold of His holiness.

The meaning of Red in history and in the Bible

Red, throughout history, has always represented war, passion and blood.  In the Bible, red has always been associated with sacrifice, especially a substitutional atonement (sacrificing an animal) or a blood covenant (walking between the halves of a slain animal in the blood).

Leadership in the Bible

When Jesus walked on the earth he embraced the the position of authority.  When he called his apostles he said to them, “Follow me.”  He spoke with authority.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

The Apostle’s understanding of Authority

The apostles thought that by authority Jesus meant power, privilege and position.  They had the historical view of the color purple, knowing that if he truly was the messiah, he had come to overthrow the Roman government and set up his kingdom on earth.  Purple robes would certainly be distributed to each of them and the perks of position would be theirs.

Jesus’ example of Authority

But then Jesus announced the unthinkable.  Shortly after asking the apostles who they thought he was and commending Peter for answering that he was the messiah, the Son of the living God, he revealed the essence of true authority.  In doing so he redefined the meaning of the color purple.

What did he say?  Just after commending Peter and then saying he was going to give them the keys to the kingdom, Jesus said, “Now that you know who I am, let me tell what I must do -I must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be beaten and then killed.  And on the third day I will be raised from the dead.”  He redefined purple.

But because Peter thought purple meant position, privilege and power he said, “God forbid, Lord, that shall never happen!”  In Peter’s mind purple couldn’t involve suffering and death.  Peter did not understand the order and relationship of the components of purple and therefore he misunderstood authority.

When Peter uttered that amazing phrase, “God forbid, Lord, that shall never happen!” Jesus replied, “Get behind me Satan!”  He wasn’t calling Peter, ‘Satan’, he was speaking through Peter directly to the spirit behind his arrogance and pride.  Arrogance and pride never accepts the fact that purple is a mixture of blue and red.

Jesus, who said that all authority in heaven and on earth was given to him, then proceeded to show us what it means that purple is the perfect blend of blue and red. Jesus, who came down from heaven (blue) because of the love (blue) of God (God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son) mixed the blue of love with the red of suffering and death and became Lord of all.

Jesus showed us that authority of any kind (Boss, Parent, Pastor, Elder, Mayor, President, Senator, Police Officer, Judge, etc.) begins with a heart of love and then mixes the blue of love with the red of death to self and even physical death if necessary.  The true purple of authority always has to be born in love (always other looking) and mixed with self sacrifice (laying aside your self interests for the good of others) knowing that this kind of purple is submitted to out of trust and not out of fear, out of desire and not out of manipulation.

The Founder’s understanding of authority

The founding fathers said that our leaders should be “disinterested men of leisure” meaning men who were not serving for their own interests and didn’t need money, acclaim, fame, adoration or anything because they were assured in who they were and their motives were truly pure.  Purple is not the color of position, privilege and power.  No it is the color of love and sacrifice.

Love

In Corinthians, Paul says, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  (Blue mixed with red)

Death to Self

In Philippians Paul wrote,  “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Blue mixed with red)

The example of Husbands

In Ephesians, Paul writes, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”  (Blue mixed with red)

True Leadership

True leadership is rooted and grounded in love and is mixed with the blood and sweat of self denial and sacrifice.  True leadership wears the purple robes in humility and love and doesn’t serve for gain, admiration or adoration.  When scorned, true leadership says, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do” and rests in the comfort of knowing the truth of the Gospel – the exalted shall be humbled and the humbled shall be exalted.  Purple is the color of true leadership, the perfect blend of love and sacrifice.