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A Family Resemblance

BARBARANNE KELLY | CONTRIBUTOR We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. (Colossians 1:3–5a) I’ve been going through a box of old photos found in my dad’s attic, and I’m seeing the faces of my great and great-great-grandparents for the first time. I’ve seen their names written in the branches of our family tree, but for the first time I’m able to look for family resemblances in their eyes and smiles. I marvel at seeing my infant grandmother tenderly held in the arms of her parents under the shade of their garden, held with the same affection with which I held my own precious children. I’m connected to my great-grandmother in more ways than DNA can explain. I never met her, but her blood flows through my veins, and her love for gardening and family, along with her physical characteristics, have been shared down through the generations. When Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, he was writing to saints he’d never met. The gospel had been carried to them by his co-laborer Epaphras, had taken root, and was “bearing fruit and increasing” (1:6–7). Paul’s joy overflowed in thankfulness to God as he recognized the family resemblance in these unseen saints when he heard of “[their] faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that [they] have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for [them] in heaven” (1:4–5a). How did these saints and fellow brothers and sisters at Colossae resemble the family of Christ? They bore the traits of faith in Christ Jesus, love for all the saints, and a hope laid up in heaven. Faith, love, and hope are spiritual characteristics which set the family of God apart from the rest of the world. Faith The word “faith” is repeated five times in the letter to the Colossians, and each time it refers to a specifically objective faith in God the Father and/or the Lord Jesus Christ. This isn’t the baseless faith of the world that calls us to “just believe,” or worse, to “believe in yourself.” The faith that characterizes all Christians is “faith in Christ Jesus (1:4; 2:5), “the faith” in which they need to continue (1:23), “the faith” which is key to walking in Christ (2:6–7), and it is faith in the powerful working of God through which they were raised in baptism with Christ (2:12). Paul sees the family resemblance in the Colossians’ faith because he knows it’s nothing they’ve done in themselves; it is God’s gracious gift (Eph. 2:8)....

A Family ResemblanceChristina Fox2025-05-26T16:20:52+00:00

I’m New Here! Did You Notice?

SAMI MACDONALD|GUEST As the resident of my 17th home in 34 years, my many memories of being the new girl often culminate in various cafeterias. Memories of circling tables while scanning for an open seat, holding a tray that feels as wobbly as my quickly beating heart. I remember wanting to ask the scariest question: “Is this seat taken?” What I really wanted wasn’t just a seat, but for someone kind to notice me and offer me a seat at her table. I longed to belong. And that longing doesn’t end when schoolgirl days are over. Maybe you have been here, too. Being new – to a church, town, job, or just walking into any room full of unfamiliar faces – can leave us feeling quite vulnerable. Newness stirs in us a deep fear of isolation, including her counterparts’ shame and rejection. About this, the Gospel has much to say. I invite you to consider periods of transition as opportunities to lean into the rich spiritual realities of our bond with Christ. Let’s look to the beloved book of Ruth, whose story of new girls in a new land demonstrates God’s faithful love. Ruth and Naomi were single women uprooted from their home country. Being in a foreign land wasn’t just uncomfortable, but dangerous. In a patriarchal society, they were vulnerable without a husband’s provision. In God’s kindness, Ruth is seen by Boaz, who eventually becomes her redeemer. “Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” (Ruth 2:10) We also are seen in our vulnerability. Acknowledging the reality of our aloneness in new situations is appropriate but does not have to define us. At one time we were indeed separated, alienated, and without hope (Eph. 2:12). But we find rest when we remember God graciously fixed His gaze upon our vulnerability and brought us near, grafted us into Himself, sheltering us under His wings. These aren’t just momentary truths at salvation or future hopes for eternity. Our Father sees our vulnerabilities now and it is in His very character to move toward our needs (Matt. 7:11). Furthermore, Boaz not only sees Ruth’s needs, but he also welcomes her to his personal table. “And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over” (Ruth 2:14). Boaz is a pointer to Christ. He doesn’t just satisfy her need for a meal, but as the story unfolds, he marries her, providing ultimate security as she joins his covenant family....

I’m New Here! Did You Notice?Christina Fox2025-07-09T18:30:57+00:00