The seemingly random
name I have given to my blog title, blog address, the email to which this blog is linked,
and my "name" has significance. I promise! It is simply a symbolic
metaphor for myself. Who am I? That is a complicated question, but I will give
you the basic information that you will need to know in order to decode what
"the purple branch" means. You only need to know two facts a) my
favorite color is purple and b) I am a follower of Jesus Christ.
That's
all you need to know.
Have fun
trying to figure it out.
Bye.
Kidding
of course. I LOVE symbolism, but the symbolism I use is intentionally
complicated, because I want it to have a significant purpose. What is life
without complication? But once you break the title down into
understandable components it is actually pretty simple.
If the
method to figuring out the meaning of my title were an equation (refer to the
facts in paragraph 1) it would look like.... A+
B = the purple branch, where a = purple and b= branch. So I
bet you can figure out where the purple came from. Based on the previous facts
in paragraph 1, it can be assumed that the fact "my favorite color is
purple" influenced my decision in choosing the word "purple" to
be half of my title. Since that variable is already figured out we must now
move on to variable b. How in the world is a branch related to Jesus?
Very loosely, but I promise you that it does have a strong connection. (I
love paradoxes)
To
understand the connection, one must be familiar with the Bible passage
"Jesus the Real Vine" from the gospel of John chapter 15 verses 1-17.
If you aren't that is totally fine! I will familiarize you with the specific
verse that serves as the basis of my title. Jesus says to his disciples "I
am the vine, and you are the branches" John 15:5.
Now that
I have clarified the origins of the second half “the purple branch” a question
still remains... what is the implication?
Jesus, I
am pretty sure, secretly fan girls over metaphors. I mean... he uses them all
the time! Jesus forms an indirect connection between him and the vine, and his
followers are metaphorically the branches of the vine.
Okay. So
now that we have all the data we need. Let’s analyze it!
So the composition of "the purple branch" isn't as simple as a mathematical equation (nothing ever
is). It is the merging of the two meanings that really illustrates the purpose.
If anyone
knows me somewhat closely, they know that purple is my color. But the word
purple has a more symbolic meaning then the denotation of being a simple color
that is favored by a particular teenage girl who holds no relative importance
in the world. But the individual teenage girl did want to make a blog, and she
was in need of a title.
When I
think of the color purple, I think of it as a symbolic way of defining who I
am. In no way does the color reveal my beliefs about the world or my personality. It
is my favorite color, and if I were to be a color, I would be purple because
that is what I would want.
The term
"branch" is blatantly a symbolic metaphor for any follower of Jesus
Christ. Simple right. So why didn't I just use the title branch for my blog? It
lacks a quality of individuality that we all possess. It lacks the defining
variable of the equation. Purple is my defining variable. The use of the term purple in my title symbolizes my individuality
A title
is representative of the purpose of the work the author is completing right? So
then... how does the title relate purpose of this blog? As I have said before, purple
symbolizes my individuality, and the branch symbolizes followers of Christ. When
you merge the two meanings, "the purple branch” can be seen as an illustration for my individuality as a follower of Jesus Christ. Imagine a vine with millions of branches coming out of it,
no two branches appearing the same. And imagine a purple one. That’s me!
The composition
of one’s individuality is truly beautiful but thought provoking. So the real
purpose of the title isn't to define who I am through the complex combination
of symbols and metaphors. It is to pose a question regarding who I am.
Who am I
as a follower of Jesus Christ?
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