‘Let love be our look’

I HAVE to confess that I give little thought to what I’m going to wear on any particular day. Of course, there are days when suchand-such an occasion will require me to be attired in a certain way but on run-of-themill days, I just grab the first thing I see and off I go – not a moment spent thinking about it. Those who know me will probably say: ‘Yes, we see that!’

My wife Elaine couldn’t be more different in this regard. She gives careful thought to what she wears each day and as a result is never less than immaculate, even when she’s entirely casual.

When it comes to how we ‘clothe ourselves’ spiritually speaking, it’s Elaine’s approach rather than my ‘not that bothered’ one which we’re called to. Rather than being left to dress as we might fancy, our writer directs us to specific ways of living – that is, to specific items of clothing.

And so in Colossians 3:12-14 we are presented with the wardrobe from which we Christians are to clothe ourselves, carefully attending to each garment. Together, the items of clothing which we are called to wear form a beautiful ensemble – each one complementing the other and the whole being more than the sum of its parts.

The first item on the list is compassion.

This is very different from ‘concern.’ You can be concerned about a situation but do nothing about it. Where there is compassion, something will happen. That which you are feeling will cause you to act. N TWright describes compassion as ‘a deep sensitivity to the needs and sorrows of others…’ It’s been said that people won’t care what you believe until they believe that you care. Compassion is caring, deeply.

Compassion is followed by kindness.

William Barclay points out that the New Testament word for kindness is the word that’s used to describe a wine which, through the ageing process, has become mellow and lost its sharpness. Imagine what an outpouring of kindness might do to address the brokenness and the often bitterness of national life and public discourse?

In the aftermath of the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth, one of the most commonly-used descriptions of her was humility.

Some might wonder how a head of state, a globally-recognised world figure could possibly be humble? And yet the truth is whether we wield enormous power and authority or are the simplest of ordinary souls, humility can be the quality that most defines us. Colossians calls us to ‘wear humility’ each day. Is there a better description of humility anywhere than what we find in Philippians 2:5-11, where Christ is said to have ‘made himself nothing.’

Of course the list goes on with gentleness and patience and the willingness to forgive others all finding their place on it. Space doesn’t allow for each one to be discussed here but none should be dismissed as unimportant.

But see how the list ends: ‘And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.’

While it is true that different occasions – even different weather – will require us to wear a particular set of clothes, so it is that circumstances might mean that one or other of these items of spiritual clothing will be to the fore. But whatever else we might wear, there should never be a day when we don’t open our wardrobes and pick out ‘love.’

Let love be our look.