Those big red doors.. cont.

For centuries the Church has proclaimed that the blood of Christ has been shed so that all who came to him could be saved. In time those blood-red doors came to symbolized that fact. Those who entered in, came to Christ, could be saved. It was a relatively short jump to believe that anyone who passed through those doors would be safe from harm….as long as they stayed behind them.

Over time, Christian people began to see the church’s red doors as a sign not only of physical refuge and safety, but of spiritual refuge as well: the blood of Jesus and of the Chruch’s martyrs symbolized by the red doors would afford complete protection from the power of evil. The doors spoke to the world of the holy ground that existed inside doors - space that had been purged and made clean by God’s Holy Spirit.

Today, churches choose to paint their doors red for many of the same reasons that churches did centuries ago. It is a small way for them to be recognized as a place of peace, refuge and salvation for all people in our community.

My fellow Christian, why not ask your family and friends if they know why the door of your Episcopal church is painted red. (presuming it is) And then, yo can tell them about the sense of sanctuary and peace you and countless others have found there.