"For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him." from Colossians 1
Paul tells us in this scripture that Jesus is the flesh of God, that the Christ is God poured out in human form... and that everything in all of creation got its start through God and that through Christ, who embodies God even unto the cross, the whole broken world is made whole again. He connects the past, the present, and the future of God's creation and gives it purpose. Lofty theology about Jesus, the concept of incarnation, and the cross as salvation. Sometimes hard for us in this postmodern age to wrap our heads around, but it is a concept that Paul firmly believed and passionately taught, probably because he himself had been 'broken' and then 'saved through Christ.'
In Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, you have a farcical play about two sets of identical twins. The stage is set when we learn that Egeon has twins that were separated in a shipwreck 25 years ago. He raised one alone, while his wife and the other are somewhere unknown. He is in Ephesus looking for his long lost wife and other twin son... Unbeknownst to him, his son Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant Dromio of Syracuse are in the city of Ephesus, also, on this day. They each have an identical twin Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant Dromio of Ephesus. The fact that twins and their servant twins have ended up in the same city together creates a play with much mayhem and confusion. It's got lots of madcap antics as you might expect.
But we see in this play a couple of poignant themes. A father who is looking for a long lost son. A twin who has lived a lifetime separated from his 'other self' and a longing for companionship and camaraderie that is all too rare.
Paul is sharing his lofty theology to the church at Colossae to remind those gathered that we do have a place to find our 'other selves.' That we only need to reach to Christ who has come in the form of Jesus to show us a way to connect what is broken, a way to save what might seem lost.
Nothing is lost. All we need to find our way is given to us in the message of Jesus who became our Christ. We just need to look, and listen, and find a space where Jesus is welcomed, no matter where we find ourselves or who we think we are. We all belong to Christ. No one is torn apart or left behind.
Thoughts? Email me at peverhart@niwotumc.org or leave a comment on the comment link below.
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