Shades of God

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“Let there be light”
and the darkness gave way.

The brush was raised to paint the blue
of heaven’s sky and water’s hue.
But no dull sameness left its mark,
cerulean, azure, navy, light,
seafoam, turquoise, cyan,
cornflower, cobalt,
powder, sapphire, royal,
His genius let loose.

Then from the blue He called the brown.
Dirt and sand and clay displayed;
auburn, desert, ochre,
taupe, buff and bronze,
wheat, russet and mahogany,
sand and seal and good old beige,
Foundations flourished in variety.

And from the brown His brush turned verdant.
From earth the life sprang forth;
apple, fern, and kelly green
emerald, hunter, moss,
jade, forest, lime and pine,
tea, and teal, shamrock, spring,
delighted His artistic eye.

Of course the green could not deny
the colours of harvest that He designed.
How many reds can you produce?
Crimson, cardinal, puce and pink,
fuchsia, flame and scarlet,
burgundy, rose, and before the machine,
fire-engine red was in His mind.

The skies He dotted with yellow orbs,
Their shades reflected down below;
saffron, goldenrod, mustard, flax,
cream, amber and peach,
metallic, maize and glowing fire
danced before His ardent brush
and lit both earth and sky.

Not even darkness escaped His eye
Lest it feel forever banished from His sight.
Black turned steel gray at His behest,
charcoal, xanadu, slate and silver,
platinum and fearful arsenic,
taupe again appeared, slightly altered,
with dove and liver close behind.

The beasts and birds and swimming things
received His blessed touch
and took on the Creator’s passion
for symmetry amid variety.
Blue jay, canary, black bear, red fox,
white wolf, chestnut mare, pink flamingo,
all dressed by His design.

And the crown of His creative strokes?
It is no curse that man reflects
the genius of God’s touch.
“Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight.”*
Delight in difference, boast of beauty
in variety revealed, He calls.

And God saw that it was good,
every colour, every hue, every stroke.
And better yet, as well He knew,
those colours meant to bleed and blend
until one day remade anew,
they would not only be good
but perfect just as He.


*Jesus Loves the Little Children
Words by C. Herbert Woolston, music by George F. Root