“They clothed him in a purple cloak and twisted together a crown of thorns." ~ Mark 15:17
When a grenade landed at Duane’s feet during the
Korean War, he hurled himself on it without hesitation. The bomb lifted him
off the ground. He sustained severe shrapnel wounds throughout the lower part
of his body. But miraculously, Duane survived – as did all six
fellow squad members whose lives he had saved.
The army sent him home
with a Purple Heart medal. It rested in a beautiful walnut box, representing bloodshed
in the call of duty. More notably, it symbolized phenomenal courage and “extraordinary
fidelity to fellow service members.”
Famous recipients include
actors, writers, athletes, and even service animals. JFK is the only President
with a Purple Heart.
Perhaps the Bible
offers a clue to the color’s significance.
Its rich, vivid hue dates back to ancient Rome when purple
dye was extremely rare. Made from the mucus of Murex snails near the
Mediterranean Sea, each mollusk produced only a single drop of the necessary
fluid. A pound of dye required thousands of mollusks. Because of its rarity
and difficulty to produce, purple became the symbol of wealth, royalty, and prestige.
Purple is linked to suffering and resurrection in the New
Testament. Roman soldiers clothed Jesus in purple before beating and crucifying
Him. For Christians today, the color purple paints a vivid celestial image of His
sacrifice and the ultimate victory over death through His resurrection.
His willingness to endure suffering for our redemption is a
powerful reminder of His love and faithfulness. Further, it serves as a
reminder of our eternal royalty as children of God.
Courageous people like Duane Dewey are called heroes
because they do what others wouldn’t dare to do, even at significant personal
risk. Almost two million Purple Hearts have been given out over the years since
this special decoration was instated, more than half given in World War II.
Being a spiritual warrior sometimes requires courage just
as fierce and tenacious as that required for battle. Derived from the old
French root “coeur” (meaning “heart”), courage means to take something to heart;
to deliberately gain an authentic, integrated sense of self rooted in Christ.
Spiritual courage requires us to turn our eyes to God and
not to the worries and troubles of this world. When we shift our focus and
trust to Him, we gather strength and gain self-confidence. The more deeply we
feel a closeness with God, the more fearless we become.
