One of the historical facts about the Colossians is that after a few years of the letter from St. Paul being circulated, the city experienced a powerful earthquake. And it is believed that the city never fully recovered from the earthquake. Imagine the people in the city, that many of lost their lives, or their loved ones because of the natural disaster. Many have lost their livelihood, and that they needed to seek refuge in another place. Their whole lives were buried in the rubble. It would be no different than the people in the East, currently, because of Hurricane Dorian. As we look on the news, many homes are destroyed. Many people have to evacuate from their homes. Many people are missing. It is a big mess! There was a heartwarming story about a Florida Man who went to Costco, and bought 100 generators to help victims in the Bahamas.

It in during these moments when the faith is shaken, and the natural disasters, pain and suffering can drain us of hope. This passage from St. Paul helps the early Christians, because it was something that they could hold on to, so that it could help their faith, to help them with hope. Hope is the confidence that God is always with us, despite our circumstances. St. Paul reveals that Jesus is the source of hope in every situation.

St. Paul wrote: “Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and invisible. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.

Think about how the Colossians may have held on to these inspiring words in the aftermath of the quake. Also, please consider how Jesus is the basis for your hope. The Lord would never abandon his people at the first sight of danger. He demonstrated his commitment to us by his sacrifice on the cross. He is the good shepherd, who lays down his life for us. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we have hope. Because of Jesus, death is not the end, because he is raised on the third day. Because of the Lord, death is not the end for us either. We look forward to eternal life with the Lord. Our loved ones who have died, are with the Lord, in his loving embrace. They eagerly await to see us again.

Whatever circumstances that we are in, let us hold on to the words of St. Paul, and the inspiring message. The Lord Jesus is the source of our hope!