We know that puns can be very funny, but they can be spiritually meaningful too. St Paul makes a pun in his letter to the Philippians (1:21).

Commentator Ben Witherington suggests that Greek-speakers in first century probably had a short greeting: “Life is good”. We have something similar today. How are you? we ask. ‘Life is good’, we might reply.

In Greek it would be ‘to zen chrestos‘ (to live good). Now ‘good’ (chrestos) is one letter different to ‘christos‘ (Christ), and would have sounded very similar. We know that modern Kiwis do this with the ‘e’ and ‘i’ sounds too.

‘Life is good’ – ‘life is Christ’. 

He is under arrest awaiting trial, which could lead to his death. He tells his friends that this situation is not really that bad because either way – death or life – he is still with Christ and that is good. ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain’.

Life can bring all sorts of set-backs and troubles, but if our life is good because our life is really Christ –  for us, with us, in us, then truly ‘life is good, life is Christ.’