Last Updated on February 1, 2024 by Kittredge Cherry
The Rainbow Christ Prayer is presented in the African language of Dholuo to support the people and cultures of Africa, especially Kenya and Tanzania where it is commonly spoken.
By offering “Kristo Lihundu, Alam,” Q Spirit aims to foster respectful cross-cultural, interfaith healing and communication.
Dholuo is one of the languages used by the Luo people, which includes the family of former U.S. President Barack Obama. It is commonly spoken in everyday life in the region and taught in primary schools, but later education is in English. European colonizers used Christianity as a tool to rule over Luo people, but these communities still maintain their language and culture.
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/
Let us pray…
Walem…
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.
Kristo, mar jogo mabedo e riwruok achiel gi joma nigi kido machalre kod mekgi, ( lihundu), irwako kido mag rangi duto mantie e piny. Lihundi tiyo kaka olalo e migepe ma opogore: polo kod piny, wuok chieng kod podho chieng, jogo ma nikod hera mar kido machalre kod maonge godo, jiu wa mondo wapar gigo mabeyo kaka ranyisi mayudore e lihundu mar mon materore kod mon, chou kod mon materore kanyakla, chuo materore kod chuo, jogo mane onyuol gi del ma opogre kaka gigombo , jogo ma nikod hera mar kido machalre kodgi gi ma opogere kodgi ei oganda,-
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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.
Makwar en ranyisi mar ngima, singo mar chuny, mangima kendo Kristo majahera makende, in e singo marwa. Gonywa kuom wich kuot kendo imiwa nguono mar nyadhi man kod ngima eka mondo walu lerwa makende mantie iwa. Makwar mantie lihundu, waduoko erokamano ni nyasaye nochwewa mana kaka wantie ni.
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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.
Machunga en mar gombo mag riuruok, mach mar chuny. Kristo mar jogo ma osegony, wach molok ringruok. Gonywa kuom sandruok kendo imiwa nguono mar tudruok maber. Gi kido mar machuga ei lihundu, mok mach mar hera ei wa.
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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.
Ratong en mar mijingo mari, kar dhod roho. Kristo mathuolo, in e dhoot. Golwa e kabede mag pondo malingling kendo imiwa chir kod nguono mar wuok oko. Gi ratong ei lihundu, gernwa chir.
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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.
Ralum en mar hera, chuny mar roho. Kristo ma ok jakum, in e chuynwa, iketho chike nikech hera. Ei piny ma opong kod joma owere ni giler, imulo jotuo kendo ichiemo gi joma okwedi. Gonywa kuom chike kendo miwa nguono mar bedo ei ratiro. Gi rangi ma ralum ei lihundu, pong chunywa gi nguono maonge bwo chik ne dhano duto.
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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.
Rambulu en mar chiwo pachi iwuon, duol mar roho. Kristo manithuolo, in e duondwa, mawuoyo kakwedo yore duto ma diyo ji. Gonywa kuom samuoyo kendo iniwa nguono mar kedo ne joma ok nyal. Gi rangi ma rambulu, jiu waa mondo wamany ratiro.
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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.
Violet en mar neno, rieko mar roho. Kristo ma jatud ji, in e rieko wa, ichweyo kendo irito piny. Gonywa kuom pogruok gi ji kendo miwa nguono mar bedo thuolo. Gi rangi mar violet, tudwa gi joma moko kendo gi chwechni duto.
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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.
Lihundu duto riwore kanyachiel mondo gilos ler achiel, kondo mar bedo kod ngeyo mar piny.Kristo mar rang’i ma malo kendo ma oriwo duto, in e kondo marwa, ne dhano kod ler. Gonywa kuom gigo maoridore kendo miwa nguono mar kido ma otudore e yore ma opogore. Gi lihundu, telnwa e yore ma ohingo paro mar rangi ma rateng- kod -rachar ma ikadho godo e yore mag ngima.
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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.
Kristo mar lihundu, ikelo ler e piny. Iloso lihundni kaka singo mar siro ngima duto mantie piny ka. Ei aluora mar lihundu, wanyalo neno tudruok duto ma opndo e kind gombo mag rigruok mopogore, kit nyuol kod dhoudi. Kaka lihundu, mad iruak rangi duto manie piny.
Amen.
Translated by Paula Abuor, human rights activist/researcher, Ujamii Moja Kenya (One Family).
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Related books:
“Kenyan, Christian, Queer: Religion, LGBT Activism, and Arts of Resistance in Africa” by Adriaan van Klinken
“Christianity and Controversies over Homosexuality in Contemporary Africa” by Ezra Chitando and Adriaan van Klinken (Editors)
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Related links:
Uganda Martyrs raise questions on homosexuality, religion and LGBTQ rights
FannyAnn Eddy: Lesbian martyr in Africa
David Kato: Ugandan LGBTQ rights activist (1964-2011)
Saint Walatta Petros: African nun shared a lifetime bond with a female partner in 17th-century
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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 Oct. 4, 2023.
Copyright © Kittredge Cherry. All rights reserved.
Qspirit.net presents the Jesus in Love Blog on LGBTQ spirituality.
