In Him, all things hold together…

A homily for the Diocese of Perth app

Reflection: Held Together

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul gives us a vast, cosmic vision of Christ:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15–17)

Not just the spiritual parts of life. Not just Sunday mornings or silent prayers. Paul says all things — every atom, every relationship, every spinning planet and breaking heart — are held together by Christ.

That’s not a metaphor. It’s a claim about the deepest structure of reality. That Christ is not only our Saviour but also the sustainer of all that is.

Years ago, preacher Louis Giglio gave a talk about this very passage, referencing a protein molecule called laminin. Present in every single body, Laminin is literally the scaffolding of the human body — a glue that binds our cells and organs together. Without it, we would physically fall apart.

And when you look at laminin under a microscope, its shape is unmistakable: a cross.

Now, no one’s claiming that’s divine proof — but it is a breathtaking image. A visible sign in creation of a deeper spiritual truth: that the cross — the self-giving love of Christ — really does hold us together. At the cellular level. At the soul level.

This is good news when life feels like it’s fraying at the edges.

Which is where today’s Gospel takes us.
In Luke 10, Jesus visits the home of Mary and Martha. Martha does what many of us do: she gets things done. She fills the silence with service. But all her striving leaves her anxious. Her life — for that moment — threatens to fall apart if she doesn’t keep every plate spinning.

Mary, by contrast, chooses to sit. To be present. To listen to the One in whom all things hold together.

And Jesus says gently:

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.” (Luke 10:41–42)

One thing.

And that “one thing” isn’t passive or lazy.

It’s attentive. Grounded. Anchored in Christ. And it holds all the rest of the things together.

So much in this world pulls us in different directions — expectations, obligations, pressure, pain. And it’s easy to think we need to hold everything together ourselves. But Paul and Luke remind us of something radical: we’re not the ones holding it all together. Christ is.

We are not the centre. He is.
And we are not left to fall apart unnoticed.

St Paul reminds us: this isn’t just about something happening out there in the heavens.
Christ is not just above all — he is in you, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27)

So, when the world is loud…
When you feel the pressure to prove or to produce…
When your soul is anxious and your spirit is scattered…
Remember Mary.

Sit down. Be still. Listen.

The same Christ who holds the stars in place is holding you.
And he isn’t asking for your perfection — just your attention.
Because in him, all things hold together.

Even you. Amen.