Colossians 3:5 Put to
death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion,
evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is
coming on those who are disobedient. 7 These are the ways you also once followed,
when you were living that life. 8 But now you must get rid of all such
things--anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie
to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its
practices 10
and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in
knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and
Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but
Christ is all and in all! 12 As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with
one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other;
just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all,
clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect
harmony. 15
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you
were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;
teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts
sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do
everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him.
Colossae,
located about 100 miles east of Ephesus, was a Graeco-Phrygian city in the
Roman proconsular of Asia Minor. Colossae, Hierapolis, and Laodicea were three
cities located in the Lycus Valley that formed an important trade route at what
became a meeting point between east and west. This was a melting pot of
cultures and languages, some of which found its way into the town’s fledgling
Christian community. The divisions and jealousies that simmered under the
surface prompt this letter’s injunction that the followers of Jesus are to
renew their minds so that there is no
longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave
and free; but Christ is all and in all! This
letter then goes on to suggest that the only way diverse communities can outgrow
their divisions is to take on the qualities of Jesus – clothe yourselves with love,
which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ
rule in your hearts.
Followers of the way of Jesus ought to
intentionally model love and mutual respect as a hopeful example to a divided
world. For this reason South African Christ-followers need to repent of the way
we cling to our racially and culturally separated congregations. As a matter of
conscience we must refuse to belong to homogenous churches and commit ourselves
instead to being part of culturally and racially diverse congregations.
Song:
He is breaking
down the barriers,
He is casting up the way;
He is calling for His angels to build
up the gates of day;
But His angels here are human, not
the shining hosts above,
For the drum-beats of His army are
the heart-beats of our love.
Henry Burton
He is casting up the way;
He is calling for His angels to build
up the gates of day;
But His angels here are human, not
the shining hosts above,
For the drum-beats of His army are
the heart-beats of our love.
Henry Burton
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Life Together
The Scripture passage for
the day is drawn from Rueben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer
for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 178.
This reflection is from my own
devotional exercises for the day.
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