We do not live in a time of Lent
Today's word was "Purple," which is the liturgical color of Lent. Officially, in a church context, purple signifies penitence and mourning. But then, as is a basic principle of linguistics: "The linguistic sign is arbitrary... The word arbitrary also calls for comment. It should not give the idea that the meaning depends on the choice of the speaker (we will see below that it is not the power of the individual to change anything in a sign once established in a linguistic group), we mean that it is unmotivated, that is to say arbitrary in relation to the signified, with which it has no natural attachment in reality." There is nothing essentially penitential or mournful about purple, and in fact purple in a modern American context more commonly evokes luxury and individuality. Of course, in the time of the early church, purple represented royalty and wealth, and Empire.
Lent is a period of preparing for a paradox: a victory, a martyrdom, a resurrection. It echoes 40 days in the desert, a wilderness time of purifying and preparing yourself for Easter, facing temptation all along. Lent has to involve stepping outside of what the world around you expects and demands. As much as (some portions of) America flatters itself that it is "a Christian nation", as much as Christianity in America is painted in red, white and blue, as C.S. Lewis wrote: "Enemy-occupied territory--that is what the world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage. When you go to church you are really listening-in to the secret wireless from our friends."
Today I am using a hodgepodge of photos of purple things I saw on my way to and from work. Not pictured were a couple of strip clubs on Sunset (one in each direction from my office), and any number of gaudy purple scarves, hats and jackets. Whatever choices led to purple in those tiles, paints, and fabrics, I do not walk about in a Lenten world: they do not represent penitence and mourning. They use an eye-catching color to get your attention, to claim a bit of class, of luxury, of panache.