We should sweat it
For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. —Colossians 1:19
Today, the heat index calls for temperatures to be over 100 degrees in most parts of the country. I don’t remember when meteorologists starting factoring heat indexes into forecasts but, for safety reasons, I’m glad to know not only know the actual temperature—but also what it feels like outdoors on super-hot days.
Science is pretty “cool” to give me this info, and I love science and I value scientists. When it comes to God’s Son, Paul gets “actual” Jesus. Earlier in this section of Colossians, Paul says Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (v.15). Through Jesus, God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth (v. 16).
Creating everything? That’s a lot of work.
Since Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, I join other great theologians, pastors and poets who believe we are the visible image of Christ, especially to those who choose to be unchurched, or, for reasons many cannot express, do not experience church. The Christian may be the only way others see Christ.
Sure, it is hot. But maybe we should sweat it. Getting back to the heat index, we should show the world one neighbor at a time “actual” Jesus by what we do more than by what we say, and we should show the world one neighbor at a time what Jesus feels like through activism, volunteerism, and specific acts of hospitality, kindness, mercy, grace, peace and immeasurable love.
PRAYER: God in your fullness, help us fill our lives and the lives of others not just with words, but actions that show your love. Amen.
Leave a Reply