Now that the holiday rush is over, I’ll look through my basket of Christmas cards, enjoy them, and savor their newsy notes and comments.  Maybe sending cards is old-fashioned, but to me sharing greetings is still a warm sign of friendship.  I enjoy receiving notes that tell of my friend’s recent year, his inquiries into my well-being, and a loving wish for a blessed year of peace to come.

The apostle Paul sent many letters (OK, not Christmas cards). Each letter began with a greeting, a warm sign of his feelings for those to whom he wrote.  For example, “To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.”  Or “To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse.”  His letter to Philemon was more inclusive: “To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home.”  Each time the greeting goes on to send the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul was not writing books of theology to be printed in our Bible; he was writing personal greetings and messages to friends and churches he knew. He expected the recipients would listen carefully to his words, to think about his message. 

Thinking about this helps me to read the New Testament in a different light, not as a series of theological texts, but as personal letters.  His personal messages are meaningful not only to those folks in the first century, but also to me.  Paul writes of the same God we speak of every day, the God who loves you unconditionally.  Let’s savor his messages.

Judy