All the Colors of the Rainbow Testify to Love

Last updated on: June 23, 2026 at 6:34 pm by Gregory T. Smith

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All the Colors of the Rainbow Testify to Love 2026-06-23T18:34:31-08:00 Gregory T. Smith

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Now, the rainbow isn’t just a flag that LGBTQIA+ people can wave. This Pride Month, it’s become something queer people can sing.

Rainbow flag on white background with Love Wins text. 25 February 2022, 11:10. Jernej Furman from Slovenia

Do you remember the 1997 contemporary Christian song “Testify to Love,” made famous by Avalon? Its remake is finding new life, reimagined as a Pride anthem. Some may find this surprising. Others may feel that it’s overdue, and very welcome. At the close of this article series about the rainbow, Christianity, and Pride, this song feels like a benediction.

The Rainbow Was Not Stolen

In the first article in this series, I asked, “Did gay people steal the rainbow from Christians?” The answer was no. Christians never owned it. We looked at the rainbow in Scripture, where it appears as covenant, divine glory, heavenly majesty, and promise—not as a weapon against LGBTQIA+ people.

In the second article, we looked beyond Judaism and Christianity and saw that rainbows have carried sacred meaning across many religions and cultures. The rainbow has been a bridge, a bow, a messenger, a serpent, a road between worlds, and a sign of divine presence.

In the third article, we looked at how the rainbow became a Pride symbol. It was not stolen, but created as an icon of visibility, survival, and joy.

Now, in this fourth article, the rainbow becomes song.

A Song with a Hidden Rainbow

This brings us back to “Testify to Love.” According to GLAAD’s coverage of the reimagined “Testify to Love,” the new version combines the talents of Ty Herndon, Michael Passons, Melissa Greene, and an LGBTQIA+ choir. Critics might claim that queer people stole a Christian song just like they stole the rainbow. But really, queer people were inside this song’s story from the beginning.

Michael Passons, one of Avalon’s original members, is gay. In a Washington Blade interview, Passons described coming out and being pushed out of Avalon. A gay man was singing “Testify to Love” since the day of its release. The difference is that now he gets to sing it in celebration instead of hiding.

When Christian Music Demands Silence

For many of us who grew up with contemporary Christian music, songs like “Testify to Love” carried a kind of hope. They were bright, polished, uplifting, and easy to sing along with. They made love sound universal**. And for most CCM musicians, that love was universal—until it wasn’t.**

Behind the harmonies, the industry often demanded silence from LGBTQIA+ artists. Michael Passons joined the ranks of Ray Boltz, Jennifer Knapp, Vicky Beeching, Trey Pearson, and Marsha Stevens-Pino, who all learned that Christian music could sing about grace while punishing honesty. Some lost fans, platforms, and church support. They were boycotted, condemned, or quietly canceled. While each story is different, what they share is familiar: queer artists could sing about love, mercy, and belonging—as long as they hid the truth about themselves.

Now, as “Testify to Love” returns as a Pride anthem, it can do so without becoming less Christian. Perhaps it can be more Christian by being more honest. The song’s message expands to include the very people Christian culture too often pushed outside the choir.

What Does It Mean to Testify to Love?

So, what does it mean to testify to love? To testify is to bear witness. It is to say, “We’ve seen this. We know this. This is what love has done.” In Christian faith, testimony is not supposed to be abstract. Your testimony is a real story with names and details. And love is that kind of real.

Testifying to love means we celebrate queer people who are out and proud, while also protecting those who, for whatever reason, must remain in the closet. It means we bless the rainbow in the street and come up with alternatives when it gets painted over—literally and metaphorically. It means we speak boldly when words are needed, and we hold silent space with those who suffer when words are not enough to bind their wounds. Sometimes this means speaking publicly against shame, exclusion, and spiritual abuse. Other times it means sitting quietly with someone who is not ready to speak at all.

Testifying to love means we make ourselves safe people with whom the truth does not have to stay hidden. Sometimes queer friends don’t need a champion—they simply need a loving witness. That, too, is testimony.

Christ, the Prism

This is where we can still learn something from the rainbow.

White light contains the whole visible spectrum. The colors are already there, waiting to be revealed. A prism doesn’t create the colors. It shows us what the light has been carrying all along.

This is how I understand Christ. If God is the Great Light, and humanity is the rainbow, then Christ is the prism. Christ reveals the holy spectrum already present in God’s love. reveals the sacred diversity already present in everyone who bears the image of God.

The church’s calling is not to flatten humanity into one acceptable color, or to say that white light is the only shade worth shining. Our mission is not to wash out the differences and call that unity. Real unity is not conformity—it is love strong enough to hold difference without being afraid of it.

Too often, the church has tried to allow only certain colors and still call that “light.” But the rainbow refuses that lie. It teaches us that love comes in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—and every shade in between. Together, they testify to the same light.

All the Colors Belong

That is why the reimagined “Testify to Love” matters for today. It’s not just a song—it’s a witness. Michael Passons and friends are singing to a new generation of those who are out and proud. They’re also inspiring many who do not yet have the safety to step into the spotlight. Their song is a witness.

I think about queer folks I’ve known in churches I’ve attended and served as a pastor. Many felt safe enough to come out to me, but were rightfully afraid, given the culture, to come out publicly. Some sat in pews, sang in choirs, participated in youth groups, or served on staff. Often, they wondered whether the love being sung about included them.

Now the answer shines in bright color. Yes, you are included. Yes, your life testifies to love. And yes, your voice belongs in the song.

And if Christians are willing to see this, maybe we can finally stop guarding the rainbow as if grace were scarce. Maybe we can stop claiming love as if it were a small and limited, private possession. Maybe we can turn on the light and let the full spectrum shine. Because all the colors of the rainbow testify to love.