The Color for Pentecost is Red!

The color for Pentecost is red and we see splashes of red throughout the church today.  Red represents the tongues of fire at the church’s first Pentecost.  I think that we can all agree that fire is an agent of change.  A forest fire causes a beautiful forest to become a pile of cinders.

Meanwhile a controlled fire in your oven causes a hunk of dough to become a very tasty loaf of bread.  Fire is always an agent of change.  And if the Holy Spirit is represented by fire in the Bible, then the Holy Spirit must be an agent of change. 

So, what are some of the changes that the Holy Spirit is calling us to?  The Holy Spirit is calling us to put on the mind of Christ who placed the needs of others higher than his personal needs.   (Philippians 2)  The Holy Spirit is calling us to turn the other cheek rather than to retaliate.    (Matthew 5)  The Holy Spirit is calling us to set aside our fears and go into the future with confidence.  (Matthew 28)

The Spirit helps us to move from stinginess to generosity.  From a cold heart to a warm and loving heart.  From resentment to forgiveness.

I will close by saying that the fire of the Holy Spirit is an agent of change in our lives.  We could throw cold water on this fire; but let’s stay away from that course of action.  Instead, let’s add fuel to the fire.  Let’s cooperate fully with the working of the Holy Spirit.