Why think about tenderness?
It seems to me that Paul’s letter to the Philippians implies that tenderness towards others marks a life worthy of the hope to which we have been called. Phil. 1:27 … live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ –this phrase cannot mean less than the calling which we heard of Ephesians. Not surprisingly then the calling is to unity within the church:
Phil. 2:2 fulfil my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal.
In contrast to what we see in Ephesians, Paul makes more overt connections between the manner with which this unity is achieved and the concrete actions of Messiah Jesus himself and so we read:
Phil. 2:1 If then there is any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion…
We find comfort and consolation in the love of Christ and participate in the Holy Spirit of Christ when we love others with tenderness and compassion. So Paul presents us with a double imperative to act tenderly towards others – it is worthy of the gospel of Christ and what’s more it is a reflection of the way that Christ has expressed his relationship with us. But what does this tenderness actually look like?
