Concluding Remarks
Today no less than in the times of the Colossians, Christians are pulled in various directions and people are still searching for spiritual guides and nourishment. The exotic, speculative language in Colossians does not seem so strange to us when we consider the attraction of certain superstitions, the popularity of astrology, the following of television evangelists who promise reprieves from effort in the spiritual life and shortcuts to wholeness and holiness. The epistle to the Colossians stresses the reconciliation of all things in Christ as the fundamental faith assertion with enormous ethical repercussions. As the firstborn of all creation, Christ is a symbol of the value of all creation and a promise of the ultimate salvation of all. That truth translates into the church's responsibility for stewardship in the world, assuming that in preaching reconciliation the rights of all are respected. In carrying out its mission, the church must be a symbol of peace, since Christ is the head of the church and Christ made peace by the blood of the cross.