What I read in this letter to the church at Colossae is almost a warning about 'church law.' Paul is warning the church not to be caught up and bound in what the official regulations are, but to be caught up in Christ instead. He is saying that the letter of the law regarding circumcision or dietary laws or whatever are not the focus. The focus is our relationship with Christ and on our willingness to follow Christ and let Christ and his inclusive love lead the way in our lives. It isn't saying that we can be reckless in how we practice our faith, but that we allow love to guide us, through Christ, instead of "human traditions," as Paul puts it.
In the play Cymbeline, the King (Cymbeline) marries a woman who is described as quite wicked after his first wife's death. The evil queen wants her son Cloten to marry Cymbeline's daughter Imogen, but she is in love with Posthumus. Posthumus and Imogen exchange tokens of their love, a bracelet and a ring. The main thread of the play is deception and misinformation regarding the relationship and fidelity of Imogen and Posthumus. The villain Iachimo tries to trick Posthumus into thinking that he had relations with Imogen and things go awry in a big way.
The play highlights the themes of young love and jealousy and most importantly, what happens when you think you know the whole story, but you don't. Having a lack of information can lead one to making some pretty harsh judgments and proclamations that one might later regret.
Paul suggest something similar in our judgments with one another.
So don’t let anyone judge you about eating or drinking or about a festival, a new moon observance, or sabbaths. These religious practices are only a shadow of what was coming—the body that cast the shadow is Christ. Don’t let anyone who wants to practice harsh self-denial and worship angels rob you of the prize. They go into detail about what they have seen in visions and have become unjustifiably arrogant by their selfish way of thinking. They don’t stay connected to the head. The head nourishes and supports the whole body through the joints and ligaments, so the body grows with a growth that is from God.-- from Colossians 2
When we allow judgments about others that we make or judgments about us that others make rule our religious life, that is a selfish and arrogant way of practicing our faith. When we choose to allow partial or misguided information to rule our heads and hearts, then we shut out Christ's ability to grow in us and allow us to grow as the body of Christ. When we choose, instead, to connect to Christ as our head and allow his love to nourish our body and our soul... his example, his witness, his love for neighbor, his extension of grace.... then we will grow as Christ's witnesses in the world.
What areas do you struggle with the most in terms of passing judgments on others? What sources can you look to for learning and understanding more about what you tend to judge? What ways can you seek Christ? How can you allow Christ to help you grow in the faith?
Email me at peverhart@niwotumc.org or comment below.
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