True Colours

Many have sung ‘True Colours. For many it’s a Cyndi Lauper song. I’ve appreciated the Eva Cassidy version… the Phil Collins version… Some remember Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick singing it in the film Trolls…

You with the sad eyes, don’t be discouraged
Oh, I realize it’s hard to take courage
In a world full of people, you can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you make you feel so small

It’s an honest song that acknowledges our dark and sad world It’s about self-acceptance, embracing one’s true nature, flaws and all. It’s encourages the different, the ‘other’, to be themselves, to be honest and authentic, not to feel that they’ve got to conform. It’s about strength yet vulnerability.

Show me a smile then
Don’t be unhappy, can’t remember when
I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you’ve taken all you can bear
You call me up because you know I’ll be there

It’s a song about friendship and loyalty… accepting people as they are, not as I’d like them to be or think they ought to be… being that person who listens and understands, who sees the positive and potential… seeing difference not as something that has to be changed or challenged… bringing a message of hope, resilience, comfort and unity to those who feel marginalized and isolated. It’s about seeing and appreciating their true colours.

And I’ll see your true colours shining through
I see your true colours, and that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid to let it show
Your true colours
Your true colours are beautiful, like a rainbow

It’s Sunday morning. Later I shall go to church. I shall pray. I shall sing. I shall remember the Jesus who saw people as individuals. He saw their inner beauty, their potential, their true colours, and called them to follow him.

This Jesus sees me as I am, with all my flaws and weaknesses – my true colours. He understands me, doesn’t require me to pretend that I’m something I’m not. But he does require my authenticity and vulnerability. He thinks I’m beautiful!

And this Jesus calls me to follow Him. Learning to see others as He sees them – the ordinary conformist, the outrageous extrovert, the despairing, the shamed… those different from me in their culture, priorities, social class, sexuality, moral standards… Seeing their true colours isn’t just about acceptance, it’s seeing difference as beauty.