Die-Hard Fan

Colossians 1:1-14

This is the beginning of the letter, the salutation, to the Colossians, written by Paul and Timothy to encourage these new upstart church folk.  It is written in a highly supportive and flattering style, speaking of their faithfulness and their wisdom and understanding of the tasks set before them.

It is encouraging and hopeful: We have not ceased praying for you...May you be made strong... (the Father) has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints....

and so on... words full of spirit and hope and faith.

Like the most dedicated of fans.  Right?  The most dedicated baseball fan never gives up on the team. If you love the Chicago Cubs or the Colorado Rockies, you always stick it out with them, come hell or high water... come great season or terrible season, they remain your team.

The Chicago Cubs have not won the World Series in over a hundred years. Some people call them the Lovable Losers, but they have very, very loyal fans.

The Rockies have had their share of ups and downs over the years, sometimes feeling like mostly downs, but their dedicated fan base hangs on... and loves it when the purple hits the field every year. And who among us Rockies fans doesn't get a twinge of excitement when we hear the name Cuddyer or Tulowitzki?

Paul and Timothy are showing their ability to be die-hard fans for the Colossians.  And they are encouraging those folks to be die-hard fans for the Christ whom they have chosen to follow.  And they also let it be known that God is, without question, a die-hard fan of all of humankind.

You'd think, then, that it wouldn't be so hard to get along. That it wouldn't be so hard to want to invite others to the game. That it wouldn't be so hard to win, rather than lose, at this church game.

Maybe we have quit being die-hard fans. Maybe we never were.  Jesus certainly was a die-hard fan (literally!) of the potential of all human beings to create a new heaven and a new earth.  How might we best model his example and be willing to die to self, die to stuff, die to our way or the highway?  It isn't the easy way; we've talked about that before.

And, just for the speculation of it all, suppose we did start to "WIN" at the Christ-following business?  Then what? Would we still be classified as die-hard fans, or would we begin to feel complacent and kick back and care less?

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