Colossians 4:18 highlights the personal nature of how God’s word and presence comes to his people. Paul says in the last verse of the book,

“The greeting is by my own hand, the hand of Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.” (Colossians 4:18)

Paul’s personal handwriting is part of the message. He draws attention to how he writes as he signs off and delivers his final words. God’s grace and peace is delivered partly through the particularity of Paul’s handwriting. God’s will for the Thessalonians, to remember Paul’s chains, is delivered in part through the specific style of Paul’s handwriting.

This makes clear how people, embodied flawed creatures, with all their limitations and peculiarities, are used by God to communicate his word and his presence. We cannot relegate God’s presence in our lives to emotional experience or mind-blowing insight. Personal, embodied encounters with other people can mediate God’s presence, too. Sometimes it’s even written words, typography, font, or handwriting that mediates God’s presence.

I was sharing this though with my son today, and he asked me if we have any of the original manuscripts so we can see what Paul’s handwriting is like. When I told him we do not, he quickly followed up, “In the new creation, do you think we will be able to see Paul’s handwritten greetings?”

I honestly had never thought about that, and it’s such an amazing thought — studying the original manuscripts with Jesus himself. I told Beau that it is completely possible that the new creation will included resurrected original manuscripts. If God can and will raise our bodies from death and decay (1 Corinthians 15), I see no reason why he can’t resurrect and glorify pieces of leather and papyrus. What a thought!