I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. – Colossians 4:18

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 12, 2018): Colossians 4

I love Frederick Buechner description of the grace of God. “The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you.” I think that it is Buechner’s idea that this world was meant to exist with us that impacts me the most. You were not an accident. All of the “stuff” in your life does not in any way take away from the beauty and the gift of you – and of me. The Christian life was meant to be lived, filled with this kind of grace. It is a constant reminder that in spite of your circumstances, you are integral to the party. We are not just invited; our presence is needed.

I am also convinced that this was the idea behind Paul’s closing remark to the Colossian Church. As was the custom of the day, much of Paul’s letters were dictated to someone else. We have no idea who performed the task of being Paul’s secretary, but it was likely one of those who Paul mentions are with him and who send greetings. The introduction to the letter lends some credence that the one who wrote the words might well have been Timothy. Paul’s opening words to the Colossians were “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother …” (Colossians 1:1). So Timothy could have been the one actually writing the letter, but it might have been someone else.

The reality is that these letters often become a hybrid of writing styles. Some of the words would have been directly Paul’s. There were probably moments when Paul would admonish his partner to “write it this way,” but at other moments the personality of the secretary shone through, correcting the way the words were phrased or maybe adding in descriptive elements. This is one of the reasons why there is often some argument over authorship of the letters of Paul. The letters themselves don’t sound identical, probably mostly because of the freedom given to the various secretaries as they wrote down Paul’s words.

But at some point, the letter would have been handed back to Paul for his signature. There might not have been an actual “Paul” written at the bottom of the page, but here the handwriting would change as Paul signed the letter with his final words. For the letter to the Colossians, this is the final phrase written by the actual hand of Paul. “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you” (Colossians 4:18).

It is not hard to imagine this moment when it comes to the Letter to the Colossians. Paul is under house arrest. The letter is handed to Paul, maybe through a window of the house. A guard stands close by, guarding his prisoner. Paul is wearing chains to make sure that he stays imprisoned. The individual links clang as he reaches toward the window to receive the letter, and they clang again as he tries to get the letter into a position where he can add his personal greeting, written by his own hand. He writes the opening line “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand” and again the links send out their music. “Remember my chains.” Not a plea for sympathy. Some have argued that it was a statement of authority. But it might have been simply a statement of reality. And then he adds the last line “Grace be with you.” Grace be with you as it has been with me. Recognize that God’s hand is on you as it is on me. Remember whose we are and the importance that God places on our lives, regardless of our situations.

Remember that you are not just invited to the party, but that the party wouldn’t be the same without you.            

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Philemon 1