Things Above

        This past Sunday we witnessed the baptism of young Luca Edmund Mayer, a high-spirited and delightful five-year-old. I hope you were there, either in person or virtually, for that special moment, because part of every baptism is the act of remembering our own baptism and reflecting on its meaning.

        One way of depicting baptism can be found in Colossians 2:12, in which the writer speaks of being “buried with [Christ] in baptism . . . [and being] also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” According to this metaphor, baptism is a symbolic dying and rising—we die to the old self and rise into a new life. As the writer puts it, “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). Baptism is the action of God to move us from darkness to light, from death to life: “When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory” (Col 3:4).

        Colossians 3 tells us that baptism has ethical consequences. Logically, if you have experienced newness of life, you can also be expected to think new thoughts, say new words, and take new actions. The writer of the epistle tells us how: “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col 3:1–2).

        In case that’s not specific enough, the writer fleshes out these instructions: “Put to death … whatever in you that is earthly: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry)” (Col 3:5). He goes on to say, “Now you must get rid of all such things: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourself with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator” (Col 3:8–10).

        That’s a pretty practical (and in some cases difficult) list of things to stop doing. And if it were just a list of don’ts, it would be daunting indeed. But we find hope in that earlier admonition to set our minds on things above. Paul, writing to the Philippians, says something similar. He writes, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil 4:8). He’s not talking about a fleeting notion now and then, but rather a consistent training of our thoughts through mental discipline. It’s a matter of being transformed by the renewing of our minds (see Rom 12:2). It’s a daily, sometimes hourly practice of returning to that which is true and beautiful instead of what is degrading, hurtful, or worthless.

        Let us all seek to live into our baptism every day by setting our minds on things above and training our hearts to see and speak and share what we find there.

Grace and peace,

bob