Caribbean color

As the streets in the old part of Maracaibo will attest Caribbean people are not afraid to use a little color--that's part of the Caribbean flavor. And I suppose it is only natural that when you live surrounded by so many bright colors it becomes part of your life--paint colors, clothing colors, etc.

When we painted a house in St. Croix a light sea green one of our neighbors told us we'd been to Puerto Rico too often. Maybe so because we painted the next one a kind of adobe pink. Our couch was a bold flowery print, which fit well there.

This is even true in their funeral customs. In the West Indies white is quite as acceptable as black for funeral attire--even polka dots is fine. The funeral directors are dressed all in white. And when they dress up, none of these pastels you see the tourists in.

Life itself is often very flamboyant, which makes for some drastic changes when people become Christians. Yes, the change is not too difficult to see because the Gospel changes lives. Over time the gaudy clothes, the loud, overbearing personality, the exaggerated hedonism all give place to that meek and quiet spirit that is most precious in the sight of God.

Tol