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Colossians 1
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Homily
In Paul’s day, empires not only used economic, political, and militant means to maintain their rule, they also took great measures to influence ideology and culture. The true measure of an empire’s power is not the size of their military, but in their ability to control the imaginations of the vanquished people. The ruling class knew that if the people still had their dreams, their imaginations, they could never be fully under the control of the empire. They were, at least in their hearts and minds, liberated. Even in the midst of extreme violence and oppression, so long as the people held on to their imagination, they were still free.
The early Christians were surrounded by symbols of Roman power and authority. The image of Caesar was everywhere: on coins, in paintings, on jewelry. It would have been nearly impossible for the first Christians to imagine a world without the sovereign reign of Caesar. Yet, Paul presented them with a new image, the possibility of a new and transformed unlike any they had ever lived in. Instead of just describing this new world, which would not do it justice, Paul understood that he needed to capture their imaginations. To do this, Paul used a poem. With this poem, Paul subverted the false reality the empire had created. He captured the prophetic imaginations of the people using evocative language that resonated with them from the Old Testament—firstborn, creation, reconciliation. He told them the good news, that Christ is over all, He is the creator of all, heavens and earth, visible and invisible. He is above all and sovereign over all, even Rome, even Caesar. He proclaimed a message that was as true and liberating then as it is for us today. The world that Christ has created is so much bigger and more beautiful than you have been led to believe. All you have to do is wake up and see it.
Today, we are still being held captive by culture. Not the culture of Rome, but the culture of capitalism. The culture of capitalism that causes us to lose sight of the image of God present in every human being. That causes us to choose greed over good, profit over people, supremacy over solidarity, and capital over communion. We do not realize that while Caesar is dead and gone, we have replaced him with a far greater and far more sinister idol. While we claim in our words to worship Christ, every aspect of our lives is spent worshiping the culture of capitalism. Our relationships are transactional, our worth is defined by our productivity, by what we own, and by what we consume. That’s how our days are spent. Consuming, laboring, consuming, laboring, over and over and over again like a prayer. While this does well to serve the interests of the ruling class, we as Christians know we should be serving Christ. The fault is not entirely on our shoulders. Like Rome, the empire we live under has thoroughly captured our imaginations. So much so, that we have forgotten the power of the truth.
The truth is that resurrection changed the very fabric of the universe. It was a cosmic event, a turning point, whereby the cosmic dimension of Christ was revealed. He defeated death, overcame all of the limitations of his human body, the limitations of space and time, and became fully present in all things. He fills the whole of the cosmos. He is present in all. His face is behind the face of every human being, even the poor, especially the poor. This radical unity and concern for one another is precisely what capitalism has sought to take from us. Where capitalism alienates, Christ unites. Where capitalism destroys, Christ rebuilds. Even the boundaries of religion, those that do more to divide than to unite, were broken down by Christ when his death on the cross transformed all of humanity, together. There is no person on earth, of any race, class, or religion that Christ did not die for.
Christ is the alpha and the omega, the beginning, middle, and end of all creation, Just as all things were created, all things will be reconciled through Christ. As the resurrected Christ says in the Gospel of St.Thomas, “I am the light which is above all things. I am the universe. The universe came out from me and returned to me. Cut a piece of wood and I am inside it; lift a stone and I am under it,” (Logion 77). Christ is the true source, the fount from which all of creation flows forth. The heavens and the earth, even you, even me. So vast is the cosmic Christ that he exists without boundaries, present in the largest of galaxies and the smallest of cells. All cultures, all religions, all people are creations out of the same endless and life-giving energy from which the universe itself emerged.
Therefore, wherever there are people who are willing to carry forward the cause of Christ, seeking communion, justice, and unity between people, that is where Christ is. Christ suffered and was executed for the same cause that we can take up today. Instead of living in isolation, perpetually alienated from each other, and divided by worldly boundaries, we can be united together and transformed through Christ. This is the good news that we proclaim to the world. Christ has brought the reign of God from heaven into our world in order to transform it and redeem it, and bring heaven and earth into unity with one another, through his life, death, and resurrection.
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