Colors of Hope: A Devotional Journal from LGBTQ+ Christians
edited by Melissa Guthrie
Colors of Hope draws upon the iconic Pride flag and raises a call to embody our beliefs. Using Gilbert Baker’s original flag and its eight colors and themes—sexuality, life, healing, sunlight, nature, art and magic, harmony and serenity, and spirit—readers are invited to reflect, engage, and apply discoveries. The devotions present a range of views, all full of hope, paired with thematic journal prompts and calls to action. The book includes an invocation, introduction, weekly reading, daily reflections, benediction, and list of resources. Colors of Hope is an expansive resource for personal growth and collective change. “Hoping in color” brings the joy, beauty, and power of the rainbow to life.
Featuring contributions from Tyler Heston (he/him), Alysha Laperche (they/them), Sandhya Jha (she/they), Nadia Tavera (she/they), Andrew Deeb (he/him), William DeShay C. Jackson (they/them), Melissa Guthrie (she/her), Renair Amin (she/they), Brendan Y. Boone (he/him), Allen V. Harris (he/him), and Marian Edmonds-Allen (she/they).
Endorsements
“Let the rainbow flag refresh your spirit with Colors of Hope. LGBTQ+ Christians reflect on each color of the Pride flag, exploring themes of life, sexuality, healing, nature, art, harmony, sunlight and spirit in nine essays. Contributors come from a spectrum of ministries, including Black and Latinx. The devotional journal also includes an introduction, benediction, and resource list. The rainbow flag glows with deeper meaning once you use it as a foundation for spiritual growth. This inspiring book shines as bright as any rainbow.—Rev. Kittredge Cherry (she/her), publisher of Qspirit.net, author, Equal Rites and co-author, Rainbow Christ Prayer
“Colors of Hope provides a much-needed resource to individuals and churches who long to deepen their welcome to LGBTQ+ people as well as to LGBTQ+ folks who want to begin to integrate their sexuality, gender identity, and spirituality. Reflecting on the colors of the Pride Flag, each contributor offers a reflection on the meaning from their perspective and the chance for readers to embody the meaning for themselves. There are still so few devotionals that are LGBTQ+ affirming, and this book is a welcome additional resource.”—Fr. Shannon T.L. Kearns (he/him), co-founder, QueerTheology.com and co-author of Queers the Word.
“Colors of Hope will both settle and agitate your soul. A cadre of spiritual leaders merge biblical stories and passages with the themes of Gilbert Baker's rainbow pride flag, giving a faithful weightiness to the broad, diverse LGBTQ community. This book will move you beyond pride, into a holistic understanding of who God made you to be, and what you are called to do in the world.”—Ross Murray (he/him), author, Made, Known, Loved: Developing LGBTQ-Inclusive Youth Ministry
“The words of the Bible, in black and white, are often a source of despair for LGBTQ+ people, but Colors of Hope presents a diverse collection of writers who understand the hope embodied in both scripture and the colors of the pride flag. For too long, the LGBTQ+ community has been expected to confine their lives within the constructs of traditional Christianity. Within the pages of this book, however, the depth and beauty of LGBTQ+ spirituality, and how God continually leads us to color outside the lines of tradition, bleeds through each page.”—Candace Chellew (she/her), author, Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians and founder, Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ+ Christians
“If you are looking for an easy to read and transformative devotional, you need Colors of Hope. This book amplifies unique voices that make us wonder, resist, embody, create, hope, stretch, and share in a way that is thought-provoking and contemporary. As I read the devotional, I found myself reflecting deeply on the journal prompts. Using the inclusive colors of the rainbow flag, we are offered a new way of seeing color in the world around us and allowed to reflect and write about our own experiences. As you travel through the book, allow yourself to be open to the world around you and the colors that may impact on the journey. Colors of Hope offers a connection to God, your faith and your experience in order to live your authentic and whole self. A must read for any pilgrim on the journey of love and hope.”—Rev. Wanda Floyd (she/her) Founding Pastor, Imani MCC, Durham, NC, USA, and Emerging Church and MCC Communities Co-Ordinator for Metropolitan Community Churches
“The gift of Colors of Hope to readers begins with the ‘Acknowledgements’ and moves with grace throughout the devotional journal's nine themes. This is a book that with each chapter and page does the radical and prophetic work of acknowledgment. It acknowledges that we are all God's beloved children. It acknowledges with hopeful and generous hospitality that each of our journeys into the love of God is unique and valuable. It acknowledges the voices of contributors who embody God's acknowledgment of each person's worth in their daily work as community leaders. In a world where too many people go unnoticed, unaccepted, and unrecognized—go unacknowledged—Colors of Hope offers words of care and an invitation to "individually and collectively hope in color."— Jill Y. Crainshaw (she/her), Wake Forest University School of Divinity
“Colors of Hope is a powerful, queer, adult ‘coloring’ book of the Spirit! The simplicity of using the colors of the Pride flag to inspire and ask fresh questions will be life changing for so many. I was so blessed by the diversity of voices. The rich particularity in the stories make this useful as well as transformative. Colors of Hope is a spirit-lifter for a community that really needs it in these times!”— Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson (she/her), former global Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches
“It is rare I open a book and instantly feel hurt that I wasn’t invited to add my own words. I was left asking myself a lot of questions: have I not been brave as these souls, have I not shined brightly enough? Have I not drenched my liturgies, love, culture, and liberation in enough glitter to be asked to join this particular endeavor? Empire is falling and sacred queer history, culture, worship, and theology is a precious jewel in an undeserving world. I pray this book leaves you like me, asking questions: am I willing to do my part in the Divine chain of queer saints, poets, mystics, and seekers knowing that I may lose or that I may fail? Do I truly know, like so many others before and all around me, that I will rise again, like the rainbow? Would I do it for brief moments of colorful explosions of Divine transition?”—Rev. Lenny Duncan (they/them), author, witness, agitator, PhD candidate
"Colors of Hope weaves a beautiful pattern for the reader—one that connects us to our history, encourages us in our present, and wraps us in hope for the future. No two stories are alike, and yet each contributor's voice joins in a chorus that can set an example of diversity and unity for the whole church. Books like this help us to imagine the future of Christianity.”—Austen Hartke (he/him), author, Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians and founder, Transmission Ministry Collective