HELD TOGETHER IN CHRIST
He (Christ) is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:17 NIV
Since I was a young child, one of my favorite activities of summer was a week at Church camp. Camp Penn, a United Methodist Camp near Waynesboro, PA is like a home away from home for me. First as a camper, then as a counselor and director, I've spent many weeks experiencing God there in a beautiful outdoor setting. A hallmark of each week at Camp Penn is a hike on a short section of the Appalachian Trail that cuts through the camp.
Every year, hike day is an adventure! I quickly learned that leading a large group of rambunctious children through the forest is not for the faint of heart. There are many roots and stumps and wet rocks to trip up the unfocused. There are sticker bushes that, if inattentive, could grab and scratch. Poison ivy is abundant. More than once we kicked up yellow jacket nests on the way to a spring. The list goes on and on.
Yet one hike was unlike any other. This particular year I was toward the back of a line of over 70 children. Glancing down, I suddenly noticed a mature copperhead snake just to the right of the trail, less than 3 feet away. Over 50 children (and a number of adults!) had walked right by without even noticing.
All I could think about is the number of times throughout the day that kids had stumbled, pushed each other, wandered off, or otherwise strayed from the path. I realized how straying at that particular point could have been catastrophic. That, though, did not happen. I believe Christ held us together.
Colossians 1:15-20 is a beautiful passage that speaks to the supremacy of Christ. All things originate in Christ, and in Christ all things are held together. Not in a way where he's constantly grabbing us; Christ gives us flexibility to move and even stray. Yet in our most dangerous and most trying moments; in the moments we are on the verge of being completely overwhelmed... in these moments Christ holds us together.
During a season when all semblances of normalcy have been consumed by a pandemic, know our Lord remains steady. Christ has held us together. Christ will continue to hold us together. Draw strength from that reality and give thanks to God for the supremacy of our Lord over all things!
Prayer: Amazing God, thank you the supremacy of your Son Jesus over all other things. Remind me throughout the day of your constant presence, and that in Christ Jesus you hold all things together. Amen.
