Scripture: Colossians 1:19
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

Thought for the Day: The idea that God could dwell in a human, mind rather than in the Temple, is an astounding theological shift in the ancient world, brought about by necessity. When the first temple is destroyed by the Babylonians, and the people are carried away from their home into exile, God is suddenly no longer in their midst. If the house of God has been destroyed, then where do we find God?

It’s during the time of Babylonian captivity that the people of God begin to seek God in their midst, in their souls. The idea is fully formed by the time Colossians is written (probably about a decade after the destruction of the second temple), and Jesus has become a new temple of the Lord, and an example of our intrinsic relationship with God.

We are all temples of the Lord. God dwells within us all, deeply in our hearts and souls. God is pleased to dwell within us, and we should be pleased to welcome God into our lives, because in answering God’s call, we become more just, loving, compassionate and giving humans, fulfilling our potential and changing the world.

Prayer: If it pleases you, God of Infinite Wisdom, fill my heart, my soul, my very essence with your being, so that I, like Jesus, might experience the living Christ within, and be a light for love in a dark world. Amen.