Broken Watches

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians, there is a point at which he mentions a lot of people by name. If you read the letter, you may be inclined to skip over this section. Names like Aristarchus and Epaphras and Archippus don’t seem to have much popular appeal. Yet, such passages in the writings of Paul can be among the most stimulating of all because, in them, Paul is talking about real people. And by naming them and telling you a little something about them, Paul is giving you a slice of the warmth and vitality of the early Christian Community. If you allow yourself to get caught up in that spirit, you can almost hear Paul telling Archippus to “See that you fulfill the ministry which you have received in the Lord” … and praising Epaphras as “Our beloved fellow servant” and “Faithful minister of Christ” … and bringing greetings from Aristarchus, who was with him in prison … and exhorting all…