Colossians 1:15-20 (The Message )
God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.
We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. 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. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.
He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.
Instead, some modern Christians have taken to referring to today as Reign of Christ day – a name that still leaves Christ firmly in charge but without all the historical baggage that come with “kings”. I like this name. You can call it whatever you like. Marcus Borg and others use the term “Cosmic Christ” and compare the language to the Prologue to John’s Gospel – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… The language of today’s reading expresses this same “from the beginning” idea in an earlier version: He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment.
Colossians is one of the letters that is attributed to Paul, but that is often disputed. Again, since this is one of those things that we are unlikely ever to know with any certainty, I’m going to go with Paul or a near disciple of Paul. The occasion for the letter is the usual one – Paul had originated the church at Colossae, and now false teachers have come along behind him, diluting and warping his teachings.
Specifically, the Colossians have incorporated some pagan themes into their worship – including a belief in elemental spirits. Paul’s teachings were about creating a place for belief in Jesus in a world already heavily populated by gods and spirits and powers – not a “one among many” space but the place of The One – the One who has always been in charge. This letter is an insistence that these “spirits” don’t belong in Christian worship because even if they did exist, God has already made Jesus Lord over everything.
We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. 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. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.
He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone.
We see this every day lately as spirits of hatred, and racism, misogyny and xenophobia, genderphobia and classism all rage through all levels of our society – each seeking to brand itself as normal, and necessary and most importantly, ordinary. The proponents of these demi-gods today all labeling themselves as good people – ordinary people – just as the members of the church at Colossae, I’m sure, saw themselves as “normal” yet allowed false teachers in to turn them away from the teachings of the One who came to “get us out of the pit,” as today’s reading says.
Just as Paul exhorted the Colossians to stand up and reject those false teachings, so we too should be moved by Paul's teaching. This isn’t “politics,” this is deciding if we are indeed prepared to stand against those who would peddle false truths. Are we prepared to speak and act in the leading of the One who came to gather us all in together?
I especially love the last part of this reading:
From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.
I’ll fight back with prayer; and I’ll fight back with love; but I’ll also fight back with resistance, if necessary. I’ll fight back with my vote; I’ll fight back with warm coats and clean socks; and I’ll fight back with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, if that is what it takes. I’m pretty sure Jesus expects all of us who carry his name to be in on this one -- with all the rest of the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe.
We will love, and we will care – and they can’t stop us -- for the Lord of the universe leads us on.
Amen. May it be so.