Clothes

          What kind of clothes do we put on when we’re getting ready to go out to a party on New Year’s Eve? It kind of depends on what type of party it is, I guess. If it’s fancy then we might wear fancy clothes, but if it’s not then we would wear more casual clothes. Sometimes the clothes we put on have labels on them…or letters.

          I haven’t seen anyone with labels that said… “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”      Now wouldn’t that be something. 

          Paul told the people of Colossae that they should clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” I don’t think he meant that to actually put on clothes that said these words or to put on clothes that would give them these traits. But wouldn’t that be something if someone created clothes that would do that?

          Did any of you have a grandma or an aunt who made hand sewn clothes and gave them to you at Christmas? You know what I’m talking about, shirts, pajamas, mittens, hats, and scarves, all handmade.  Do you still have any of those clothes? Like me you’ve probably outgrown them. Some of their creations we didn’t want to wear because, just to be honest, weren’t in style anymore. So, we only put them on if we knew they were going to come and visit.

          They may have been created with the traits Paul talks about, but did they make any of us more compassionate or kind or humble or gentle or patient? That’s too bad isn’t it? The world today could sure use some of all of these things.

          Instead of putting on clothes that would give us one or more of these attitudes what do you think Paul meant? What was the Message Jesus brought with him when he came to live with us?

          Wasn’t his message that we should live these things in our heart and not to make it some kind of fashion statement? And once we kind of had it down we are or should teach it to others so that they could do the same. 

          Which is kind of like saying everything we do and/or say is all about God…and that kind of helps to bring about the change in others as well as ourselves.

          Don’t you wonder sometimes why we don’t seem to understand this? Or why we seem to forget this?  Don’t you wonder if we’ll ever get it right?

          God knows what he’s doing and we have to trust that he knows what’s best for us. If he has given us the job of spreading the Good News by being compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient then that’s what our focus should be. Don’t you think so?

          Thanks be to God for his wonderful, patient grace. Amen.