For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” vs. 12
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Paul believed that the human body was the perfect metaphor for the Church and took care in describing the similarities. In fact, it’s likely because of his influence that we now speak of the Church as the Body of Christ. His primary purpose in using this image is to show the folks in Corinth that no one of them was more important than any other, and if the congregation was to be at its best, all would need to be respected and involved. The body cannot function without the cooperation of all its members. The mission of love inaugurated by Jesus continues in the Body of Christ. Quite literally, we who are baptized into Christ become the hands and feet of Jesus in bringing love and hope to a broken world. Sadly, for one reason or another, many of the baptized choose not to participate. Some drop out altogether; others look only to their own needs; and still others spend hours debating the color of carpet in sanctuaries. Imagine a human body in which the feet refused to walk, or the ears to hear–there would still be life, but little would get done. So it is with congregations! What a blessing it is when people acknowledge the larger mission of the Church and use their particular gifts for the good of the whole! It’s happening all around the world, and God is glorified!
Thought for the Day: What Body part am I?
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