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what does 'in him all things hold together' mean for our modern understanding of interconnected systems?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Colossians 1:17

He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

This verse is part of a hymn or poetic section in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Colossians, written around the mid-1st century CE. Paul is explaining the supreme importance and role of Christ in creation and in the church to a community facing various philosophical and religious ideas. He wants them to understand Christ as central to everything.

How might acknowledging a foundational unity influence our approach to managing and understanding complex, interdependent systems today?

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Read alongside it

  • John 1:3

    Describes Christ's role in the original creation of all things.

  • Hebrews 1:3

    Speaks of Christ upholding the universe by the word of his power.

  • Nehemiah 9:6

    Praises God for making and preserving the heavens and all their host.

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