On the Way to Wonder

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

24 My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

1 Corinthians 16: 23-24

“XXXOOO” is shorthand for sending hugs and kisses at the end of a letter or email.  It is not as formal as “sincerely yours,” or “love.”  Paul has sent a letter to a small group of believers in Corinth, the fourth largest urban area in the Roman Empire.    They were not the state religion.  They did not have a Bible to read or pod casts to listen to.  They were dependent on letters being circulated around the Middle East and carried by trusted messengers.   In this first letter to the Corinthians, Paul opened with complements about how he saw God working in their lives.  He then went on to answer questions about issues facing the churches.  Even today we read this letter and know that the issues like marriage, law suits, and sexual immorality are still debated today.  So how does he close his letter?  He does not close with a stiff formal closing but warmly prays for grace for the people and then closes with love.  He does not send soap opera love but sends the love of the God of the universe.  That is a huge hug and a kiss deeper than our Xs and Os.

Closings are important.  Ponder how you close your emails today and maybe say a quick prayer for the recipient.  Blessings.

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