This past weekend I served on the Women’s Cursillo at Mt. Claret Retreat Center on Camelback Mountain. The Spanish word “Cursillo” is shorthand for Cursillo de Cristiandad, or, in English, a short course of Christianity. Since 1944 the Cursillo has become a worldwide movement within the Catholic Church and has spread to many other Christian faiths. The symbol of the Cursillo movement is the rainbow and our motto is de Colores! I found it interesting that the Sunday readings for the 1st Sunday of Lent include the story of Noah and the Ark. In this Bible story, the rainbow is the sign of the restored relationship between God and humankind. There are many stories in the ancient world that tell of a great flood, but only the bible version weaves into it the profound theology of God’s mercy that far exceeds human sinfulness and love that knows no bounds.
In Cursillo culture, the many colors are about the unity that can be found in the midst of people’s diversity. The interesting thing is that the rainbow has been used many times since Noah, to symbolize diversity and inclusiveness. Here are a few examples of the rainbow flag symbol in post-biblical times:
- 1600: The rainbow flag that was used as a symbol of solidarity in the German Peasants’ War.
- 1924: Meher Baba, an Indian spiritual teacher, described the colors in the flag to signify man’s rise from the grossest of anger to the highest state of spirituality and oneness with God.
- 1961: Peace movement in Italy where the rainbow flag was first used in a peace march, inspired by similar multi-colored flags used in demonstrations against nuclear weapons.
- 1978: The rainbow flag was first used in San Francisco as the symbol of the homosexual community.
With this history in mind, I was distressed when I heard someone declare during the retreat weekend that the Cursillo movement should “take back our symbol from the gays.” 1st, the Cursillo movement wasn’t the first use of the rainbow symbol, 2nd the Cursillo movement uses the symbol in the spirit of unity and fraternity; and 3rd, the Cursillo movement shares this symbol with many other people who hold some of the same ideals. Even though people may not agree with the philosophy or agenda of the other groups, there is little in Jesus’ teaching that would support such militant rhetoric as to take back something that is not uniquely ours. To make such a divisive comment in the context of learning the core teachings of the Christian faith seems wrong-minded at best. Jesus taught his followers to “…love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” And “love your neighbor as yourself.” (cf Matthew 22:37-39) I must confess, however, that I have had similar thoughts toward those whom I felt were co-opting or desecrating my cherished symbols.
As a retired USAF officer with 22 years of service, I get very protective about how our national flag is used today. From the time I was a boy, my experience around flying the American flag was to celebrate our national holidays, to remember those who have died in our wars, or as the standard for leading a joyous crowd in the 4th of July parade. I am saddened to see our cherished flag used as cheap advertising at car lots and fast food restaurants. Worse still is to see the flag used to lead an angry mob seeking to divide our nation on the basis of race, creed, and national origin. I must check myself, however, because one of the ideas I defended in my military service was the freedom of speech, expression, and assembly. I can’t pick and choose who has these freedoms, because when one citizen can be denied any of the human rights enshrined in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution, then everyone’s rights are in jeopardy. There is a limit to the freedom of expression – that limit is when it infringes on another rights or safety.
I remember as a child starting school each day with the Pledge of Allegiance, “one nation Under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” As a nation, we need to work to live to these high standards set by our forbearers, which include, E Pluribus Unum, Latin for “Out of many, one.” This particular ideal is not unlike Jesus’ prayer that we all might be one. Jesus prayed to his Father for his followers, “…and not only for them but also for those who will believe in him through their word, so that they may all be one.” (cf John 17:20-21) It is not unlike the ideal represented by the rainbow of many colors, where beauty comes from the diversity of many colors united in one image.
What will restore the relationships in our divided society? Only our sharing of the unconditional love that God has for every one of his children. By sharing this love we will be able to restore the unity of America. Jesus showed us that this kind of love was humanly possible; regardless of any worthiness tests, his opponents pose. The price he paid for unconditional love was high. In the end, he did not even curse his executioners – he forgave them. Jesus commands us to love others as we have been loved. (John 15:12) I started with the question, “What is the color of love?” The color of love is red as runs down the anguished body of Jesus.
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