The Body of Christ
There is this song I really like called "If We Are the Body" by Casting Crowns. It asks what we're doing with our lives if we're the Body of Christ. Maybe it's because I'm going into the medical field that this resonates with me so strongly, but I do think that it brings up a good issue to think about, especially with what is going on lately. The song is really a battle cry, a call to action.
There are a lot of Bible verses that talk about Jesus' followers being His Body. 1st Corinthians Chapter 12 really speaks to this. It's important for us as Christians to be one cohesive unit in the world. One body, as it were. It is really quite beautiful to think about. We are all in this battle together. When one of us is suffering or acting in a way that is detrimental to us as a whole, we are all affected. For example, if I were to break my leg, it would have major effects on the rest of my body. My nerves would be going crazy because of the pain, sending those messages throughout my being. My other leg would have to do twice the amount of work it usually does, my arms would have to work harder if I'm in a wheelchair or on crutches, my torso would have to work differently than it normally does, and my brain would have to be thinking of different ways to do normal tasks.
The Body of Christ is the same way.
As Catholics, we especially have a deep call to be Christ to others. When we receive Him in the Eucharist, Jesus is literally in us. What do we do with that? We have Christ inside us! With that, there is nothing we can't do! It is also a responsibility we have to do so.
Acts 17:28 says this: "For in Him we live and move and have our being." We get our identity from Our Lord. He made us in His Image and Likeness. Our bodies are a reflection of God. There is a part of Him in us just like there is a part of our parents in us, because they made us. We are here because God wanted us here. Without that, we would cease to exist. It is only right, then, that we use our lives to bring all glory to Him. As Christians, we are one body together. Logically speaking, because Christianity as a body is made up of many parts (people), but come together as one, there is more God in the Christian body as a whole. We can achieve so much more together than we ever could alone!
Like a human body, it is important that all parts of the Christian community work together in harmony. When a problem arises, it is important for everyone to come together using each person's strengths in order to solve it. Here's an analogy:
If I have a sliver in my hand, would I use my nose to scrutinize its exact location and proceed to use my toes to pull it out? Of course not. That's ridiculous. I use my eyes to pinpoint it, listening to my nerves to show me where the pain is coming from. Then, I would use my fingers, which are adept at using tweezers due to their makeup, and use my eyes to help my fingers know where to go. Only with all these things working together can I solve the problem of the sliver in my hand.
We are all so different from one another. That's amazing! Because of this, we are able to be Christ to all people from all walks of life. Some of us are gifted in youth, adult, or music ministry. Others are called to be missionaries to foreign countries, or evangelists through writing or speaking. There are so many areas that we are gifted in to serve Christ and our peers. It is imperative that we utilize each person in conjunction with their gift given by God in the way He has planned. If we try to do something that we are not called to or gifted in, our ministry is not as effective as it would be if the person who is gifted in that area were to do it. It isn't as effective for a toe to do something that a finger was meant to do.
If we are the Body of Christ (and we are), let us do what He does best. Let us love and serve one another.
There are a lot of Bible verses that talk about Jesus' followers being His Body. 1st Corinthians Chapter 12 really speaks to this. It's important for us as Christians to be one cohesive unit in the world. One body, as it were. It is really quite beautiful to think about. We are all in this battle together. When one of us is suffering or acting in a way that is detrimental to us as a whole, we are all affected. For example, if I were to break my leg, it would have major effects on the rest of my body. My nerves would be going crazy because of the pain, sending those messages throughout my being. My other leg would have to do twice the amount of work it usually does, my arms would have to work harder if I'm in a wheelchair or on crutches, my torso would have to work differently than it normally does, and my brain would have to be thinking of different ways to do normal tasks.
The Body of Christ is the same way.
As Catholics, we especially have a deep call to be Christ to others. When we receive Him in the Eucharist, Jesus is literally in us. What do we do with that? We have Christ inside us! With that, there is nothing we can't do! It is also a responsibility we have to do so.
Acts 17:28 says this: "For in Him we live and move and have our being." We get our identity from Our Lord. He made us in His Image and Likeness. Our bodies are a reflection of God. There is a part of Him in us just like there is a part of our parents in us, because they made us. We are here because God wanted us here. Without that, we would cease to exist. It is only right, then, that we use our lives to bring all glory to Him. As Christians, we are one body together. Logically speaking, because Christianity as a body is made up of many parts (people), but come together as one, there is more God in the Christian body as a whole. We can achieve so much more together than we ever could alone!
Like a human body, it is important that all parts of the Christian community work together in harmony. When a problem arises, it is important for everyone to come together using each person's strengths in order to solve it. Here's an analogy:
If I have a sliver in my hand, would I use my nose to scrutinize its exact location and proceed to use my toes to pull it out? Of course not. That's ridiculous. I use my eyes to pinpoint it, listening to my nerves to show me where the pain is coming from. Then, I would use my fingers, which are adept at using tweezers due to their makeup, and use my eyes to help my fingers know where to go. Only with all these things working together can I solve the problem of the sliver in my hand.
We are all so different from one another. That's amazing! Because of this, we are able to be Christ to all people from all walks of life. Some of us are gifted in youth, adult, or music ministry. Others are called to be missionaries to foreign countries, or evangelists through writing or speaking. There are so many areas that we are gifted in to serve Christ and our peers. It is imperative that we utilize each person in conjunction with their gift given by God in the way He has planned. If we try to do something that we are not called to or gifted in, our ministry is not as effective as it would be if the person who is gifted in that area were to do it. It isn't as effective for a toe to do something that a finger was meant to do.
If we are the Body of Christ (and we are), let us do what He does best. Let us love and serve one another.
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