Ombré, meaning “shaded” in French, is the blending and gradation of one color hue to another, usually from dark to light. It is becoming an increasingly popular technique in fashion, hair color, nail art and baking. I recently heard the term used by one of our authors to describe a sky at sunset.
The more I thought about the term ombré, the more I realized the concept has religious overtones, if you will. When we think of the death and resurrection of our Lord, for instance, that is an ombré moment as Christ moves from the darkness of death on Good Friday to the light of life on Easter. Mary Magdalene came to the tomb on Easter morning “while it was still dark,” John 20:1 tells us, but the light of the sun gradually rose as she began to realize that the Son of God had risen.
The concept can also be applied to our experience of sanctification, as we gradually grow closer and closer to becoming more like Christ. As the Bible says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is a process for us to develop in our faith from the darkness of disconnect with our Savior to the brightness of unity with him. Living within the shades in between can be difficult, though, when doubt and certainty mix, as they must have for the disciples on Holy Saturday. But if ombré has taught us anything, it is that things will only grow brighter. Our lives will become more beautiful with our Savior with each passing day. And our relationship with him will only become more saturated with his glory.
