We are the body of Christ and we need each other! These reflections on our need for unity and encouragement from one another are based on 1 Corinthians 12:12–27.
‘Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.’ (v27)
While I originally wrote these notes some time ago, I don’t think it is a coincidence that we have arrived at this passage on the first day of England’s second lockdown. Now, more than ever, we need to remember that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We may have to wait to socialise with others for at least another month but we are still a part of God’s wider body – and we still need each other.
DO NOT DISQUALIFY YOURSELF
While we might be isolated from one another, we each play a vital role in God’s kingdom. Each one of us is significant in our own right, chosen and loved by God, but we should never compare ourselves to another person, and the role that they have, and think that we are less important as a result. I love the graphic picture Paul paints for us in this passage – imagine a foot saying that it can’t be part of the body because it isn’t a hand! And yet, so often, we can disqualify ourselves using the very same logic.
Remember: God never disqualifies us. I know that lockdown can cause some of us to feel that we aren’t needed – being on our own can cause those sorts of messages to fill our brains. We need to fight against them with the truth from this passage: each of us fulfils a particular purpose that God has created, and uniquely equipped, us for. Without us, the body would be lacking.
PRESERVE UNITY AT ALL COSTS
The text also talks about honour. We should never look down on anyone else because they are different from us, or because they have a role that we think is less than ours. We should go to great lengths in order to preserve the unity of the body of Christ.
Verse 13 says that we now ‘form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free’. That is certainly a truth that the world in 2020 needs to be reminded of. As does the Church. We have seen so much racial unrest, and awful acts of violence this year. It seems almost unthinkable that we have got to this place. Yet so many people have lived with the reality of being discriminated against simply by being born looking a particular way or into a certain set of circumstances.
CELEBRATE DIVERSITY
Church we need to do better! We need to focus on what it is that unites us: our faith in Jesus Christ. We should also celebrate the diversity that we find in the Church. I always wonder: where else could you find a group of like-minded yet so different people, of all ages and backgrounds, that, when interacting as they should, work together so well?
The Church is an amazing reflection of God’s grace and creativity. As individuals we should be proud and honoured to be part of God’s body. We should also actively cultivate ‘equal concern’ for those in the body that we interact with regularly. Can I challenge you to think honestly about how you respond to others in the church a) that are being honoured and b) are suffering?
LOOK OUT FOR OTHERS
One of the ways we can show our unity, particularly in this time of enforced separation, is by checking in on each other. Those within your church (and your local community) still need you in their lives. What that looks like needs to be a bit different right now. So who can you message/arrange to go on a walk with/set up a video call with/drop an unexpected gift to/ring? It’s time to ask God for some creativity. Hopefully you will be on the receiving end of some wonderful acts of care and concern too.
Prayer: Lord thank You that I am a vital part of Your body, the Church. Help me to set aside any feelings of jealousy or apathy towards others today. And help me to show those around me that I am still thinking of them. Amen.