Chroma, is the conductor of the color symphony in one of my favorite books. I thought of him, leading the orchestra to construct a vibrant, vivid, and variegated day in Washington D.C. during a recent trip.
Right now, DC is the color of fall. Tomato red walls encapsulate volunteers at Food and Friends who help cook meals and prepare bags for food delivery. Leaves of saffron, bisque, auburn, gold and rust are raked from the yards of the elderly by Age in Place. Bread for the City has waiting rooms full of people with the colds, coughs, and other phlegmy sicknesses that arise with fluctuating temperatures and the crisp, cool air of a changing season. CCNV watches fall sneak up on the street—sunlight burning darker oranges on the skin of those who stand outside, gusts of wind swirling cyclones of browns, crimson, and amber in circles on the sidewalk, and brusque air beats through jackets, scarves and gloves drumming winter’s approach. Capital Area Food Bank is the color of Thanksgiving—a cornucopia of cranberry, gravy, sweet yellow corn, green bean casserole and turkeys. The Salvation Army’s begin their busiest season with fall the color of food, can and turkey drives and hints of red Santa’s and Christmas toys lining the sidewalks of shopping centers.
At Douglas Memorial, beloved brothers and sisters, refuse to let the impending winter threaten their ministry to the city of DC. They continue to celebrate God’s beautiful creation, his perfect sovereignty and his full glory. Brother Thompson prepares the church for a season of hibernation—getting things ready in anticipation for the hundreds of students who will call their beloved church “home” for one week this coming summer. Rev. Flemming looks forward to a season of growth—a church body learning true rest in the Lord so that they might be sustained in dry times, valley times, and the flurries of winter. Sister Cindy eagerly awaits four new friends who she can laugh with and love.
It can be easy to forget that DC, just like the window outside our rooms, changes on a constant basis. We forget that it is not always summer in the District, that children return to school, that families need heat and hot water, that the need for a roof over one’s head only increases during the bitter cold months, and that life continues beyond August. This is when the reminder of our ministry partners proves most reassuring and comforting—they remain, constant, seasoned and ready to bless their city.
