Listen:
I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:2-3, NRSV)
Reflect:
Conspiracy theories are nothing new! The reason conspiracy theories tempt us is that we want to believe that we have hidden, privileged information that others don’t. That means that we’d belong to the “inside group” separate and apart from the ignorant mass of humanity.
Paul was upset that a group called the “Gnostics” claimed they had the secret, hidden knowledge of salvation and were luring members of the Colossian church with these claims. So Paul turned this argument around on the Colossian church. Do you want hidden wisdom and knowledge? The secret is Christ himself, and the way that you see this secret hiding in plain sight is to be a people knitted together, connected, and united in love. Paul was always wanting to make the circle bigger, not more exclusive.
Lifesprings’ mission is to encourage, prepare, and connect women worldwide to impact their communities with the love of God – so love and connection are important for us too. We are a diverse blend of cultures, faith traditions, nationalities, experiences and viewpoints, but we are united in our love for one another and Christ.
We are so grateful for all those near and far who are connected with us, in Christ. While we are all hidden in Christ, our love for one another means that we’re hiding in plain sight.
Prayer of Response:
“Loving God, connect us in your love, especially while we cannot gather in person. Give us wisdom and knowledge, so we may know the hope to which you have called us and the riches of the inheritance we have in Christ. We ask for your power to embody your love to our neighbors, near and far. Amen.”
—Submitted by Libby Rutherford
Libby lives with her husband, 2 cats and 7 chickens near the farming community of Apple River, Illinois. She has been a Lifespringer for almost 15 years and she serves on the Lifesprings Executive Team. Libby pastors two rural churches that are presently worshipping online, and she has gained more computer skills than she ever wanted to learn thanks to the pandemic. She thinks her grandson Malcolm is adorable!
Leave a Reply