Jesus told the parable of a servant who owed a king the equivalent of millions of dollars. In a lavish act of mercy, the king forgave the servant’s debt. Soon afterward, the forgiven servant encountered a fellow servant who owed him the equivalent of a few thousand dollars. When asked for more time to repay the loan, the forgiven servant refused and threw the man in prison. Upon hearing this, the king rebuked the forgiven servant and had him condemned (Matt. 18:21-35). The apostle Paul reminds the Colossians that they were “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved” (v. 12). They did not earn this distinction. God chose them, made them holy, and loved them deeply. And God has extended this same love to us! Understanding this reality should transform our understanding of who we are in Christ and how we relate to other people. Paul articulates what this change should look like. We should be marked by “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (v. 12). The need for “gentleness and patience” serves as a reminder to us that there will be people in our church community who are very different from us and who need our understanding and patience. It is one thing to say there is no Gentile or Jew, barbarian or Scythian in Christ (v. 11), it is another thing to try to live in community with others who are so different. Because God calls people of different temperaments, ethnicities, and social standing to be a part of His Church, we all have to “bear with each other” (v. 13). We should be able to do this because of the transformative power of love and forgiveness. “Forgive as the Lord forgave you,” Paul reminds us. We are able to love others, because Christ loved us.