Last Updated on October 3, 2023 by Kittredge Cherry
A Hindi version of the Rainbow Christ Prayer is presented by Q Spirit to highlight and support the people of India and their cultures.
By offering “इंद्रधनुष मसीह को प्रार्थना,” Q Spirit aims to foster awareness in hope of respectful cross-cultural, interfaith healing and communication. Hindi is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world.
A third gender, commonly known as the hijra, are officially recognized throughout the Indian subcontinent. Historically they were often revered and their existence is documented in ancient Hindu holy texts. European colonizers used Christianity as a tool to criminalize hijra people and justify violence, but hijra communities managed to maintain their identities and traditions.
Hindu saints and deities who embody the full spectrum of gender and sexual diversity, including but not limited to lesbian, gay, “third sex,” deities who are half male and half female, deities who change genders, and deities with same-sex parents.
Colors of the LGBTQ rainbow flag reveal the many faces of the queer Christ in the Rainbow Christ Prayer by lesbian Christian author Kittredge Cherry and gay theologian Patrick S. Cheng. It matches the colors of the rainbow flag with the seven models of the queer Christ from Cheng’s book “From Sin to Amazing Grace: Discovering the Queer Christ.” The Rainbow Christ Prayer is available in more than 20 languages at: https://qspirit.net/rainbow-christ-prayer-translated/
Rainbow Christ, you embody all the colors of the world. Rainbows serve as bridges between different realms: heaven and earth, east and west, queer and non-queer. Inspire us to remember the values expressed in the rainbow flag of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.
इंद्रधनुष जैसे यीशु, आप दुनिया के सभी रंगों के प्रतीकत्व हैं। इंद्रधनुष विभिन्न लोका के बीच एक सेतु समान काम करता है: स्वर्ग और पृथ्वी, पूरब और पश्चिम, समलैंगिक और गैर समलैंगिक। हमें इंद्रधनुषी झंडे में अभिव्यक्त मूल्यों को याद रखने के लिए प्रेरित करता है जैसे की समलैंगिक लेज़्बीयन, समलैंगिक गे, उभयलिंगी, परलैंगिक, और क्वीयर समुदाय।
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Red is for life, the root of spirit. Living and Self-Loving Christ, you are our Root. Free us from shame and grant us the grace of healthy pride so we can follow our own inner light. With the red stripe in the rainbow, we give thanks that God created us just the way we are.
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Orange is for sexuality, the fire of spirit. Erotic Christ, you are our Fire, the Word made flesh. Free us from exploitation and grant us the grace of mutual relationships. With the orange stripe in the rainbow, kindle a fire of passion in us.
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Yellow is for self-esteem, the core of spirit. Out Christ, you are our Core. Free us from closets of secrecy and give us the guts and grace to come out. With the yellow stripe in the rainbow, build our confidence.
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Green is for love, the heart of spirit. Transgressive Outlaw Christ, you are our Heart, breaking rules out of love. In a world obsessed with purity, you touch the sick and eat with outcasts. Free us from conformity and grant us the grace of deviance. With the green stripe in the rainbow, fill our hearts with untamed compassion for all beings.
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Blue is for self-expression, the voice of spirit. Liberator Christ, you are our Voice, speaking out against all forms of oppression. Free us from apathy and grant us the grace of activism. With the blue stripe in the rainbow, motivate us to call for justice.
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Violet is for vision, the wisdom of spirit. Interconnected Christ, you are our Wisdom, creating and sustaining the universe. Free us from isolation and grant us the grace of interdependence. With the violet stripe in the rainbow, connect us with others and with the whole creation.
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Rainbow colors come together to make one light, the crown of universal consciousness. Hybrid and All-Encompassing Christ, you are our Crown, both human and divine. Free us from rigid categories and grant us the grace of interwoven identities. With the rainbow, lead us beyond black-and-white thinking to experience the whole spectrum of life.
इंद्रधनुष के रंग एक साथ मिलकर एक प्रकाश बनाते हैं, जो है सार्वभौमिक चेतना का मुकुट। संकर और सर्वव्यापी मसीह, आप हमारे मुकुट हैं, मानव और दिव्य दोनों। हमें अनम्य श्रेणियों से मुक्त करें और हमें अंतर्वयन पहचानों की कृपा प्रदान करें। इंद्रधनुष के साथ, हमें जीवन के संपूर्ण वर्णक्रम का अनुभव करने के लिए श्वेत-श्याम सोच से परे ले जाएं।
Rainbow Christ, you light up the world. You make rainbows as a promise to support all life on earth. In the rainbow space, we can see all the hidden connections between sexualities, genders and races. Like the rainbow, may we embody all the colors of the world! Amen.
इंद्रधनुष मसीह, आप दुनिया को रोशन करते हैं। आप पृथ्वी पर सभी जीवन का समर्थन करने के वादे के रूप में इंद्रधनुष बनाते हैं। इंद्रधनुष अधर में, हम कामुकता, लिंग और नस्लों के बीच सभी छिपे हुए संबंधों को देख सकते हैं। इंद्रधनुष की तरह, हम दुनिया के सभी रंगों को अपना सकते हैं! तथास्तु।
Translated by Anuj Kaushal, University of Texas at Austin.
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Related links:
What if Krishna and Christ made love? (Q Spirit)
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This post is part of the LGBTQ Calendar series by Kittredge Cherry. The series celebrates religious and spiritual holidays, events in LGBT and queer history, holy days, feast days, festivals, anniversaries, liturgical seasons and other occasions of special interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people of faith and our allies.
This article was originally published on Q Spirit on Sept. 7, 2023.
Qspirit.net presents the Jesus in Love Blog on LGBTQ spirituality.
