AND

When I was reading Colossians recently I noticed one bit where Paul uses “and” several times. It’s like, you have just got the hang of something when there is a bit more, and when you think you have got that sorted, there is more again. I guess all the “ands” stop us from thinking we have got God sussed, there is always more to do, more to understand, more to reach into.
Here is the passage I was reading, it is from the RSV, but I have changed the spacing a bit .Paul has just been talking about thinking on the “higher things” of heaven and therefore putting to death worldly attitudes and opinions and behaviour…

Colossians 3 v 12-17
Put on THEN, as God’s chosen ones,
holy AND beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness,
AND patience, forbearing one another
AND, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.
AND above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
AND let the peace of Christ rule in your heart, to which indeed you were called in the one body.
AND be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach
AND admonish each other in all wisdom
AND as you sing psalms
AND hymns
AND spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
AND whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

This is my translation:
Because of what I’ve just explained, you can see how you are God’s chosen ones and how you are loved by him.
Because of this you are of course compassionate and kind and lowly and meek and patient with each other.
You are forgiving to each other because you remember how God has forgiven you.
There is love between you, joining you all together.
The peace of God is in you and flows from you.
The word’s of Jesus are always in your heart and on your lips, whether you are teaching or correcting or singing or praising God spontaneously whatever you say or do is always God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
This is not a problem, is it?