i can't say i've ever thoughtfully considered the Body of Christ analogy, but several events of late have caused me to wonder at its elegance. one being an ongoing situation at my place of employment (yes, being cryptic on purpose), another being my obsession with hebrews 11 and 12 (11:39-40 in specific), and finally an unexpected (but oddly anticipated) phone call from a friend. i am amazed at how GOD works wonders in my life: He shows me a principle and then begins to reveal it's ramifications (both negative and positive). the harmony of the whole process makes my soul sing.
the principle: hebrews 11/12. this witness-cloud you see forming in the distance is cheering us on in faith. our faiths are made complete in each other thru the axis of Christ. the Body: all of us from adam to eternity! we are all currently and eternally in the Body of Christ. in every generation a new Body is not formed. nope, we're all there in one (pardon the expression) gigantic eternity-bound Body (that i like to imagine is never on a diet). so you, me, my grandmother, abraham and adam are all there. the cloud just keeps growing.
the ramifications: negative and positive. in the aforementioned cryptic situation i am reminded of how often the hand cuts the arm of the Body (but i digress). i can remember feeling pious in high school when i discovered the verses on the Body of Christ. the ones about how every part is needed, even the "uncomely parts." *especially* the uncomely parts (i think i fancied myself one of those--i've now come to believe i'm an eyebrow hair or some such nonsense). i realized on some level that every part was important, and we should all appreciate what each of us does in "service to the LORD" (read with reverberation). which brings me back to the arm cutting: when i choose to disrespect a fellow believer (note: i did not say disagree or lovingly truth-speak in order to restore) by making a mockery of him so as to make myself look better, i'm the cutter. i'm "dissin" the body. everybody from abraham to my grandmother. but here's where the healing enters. yesterday an old friend of the dearest kind called. we spoke of life and liberty and best of all our Savior-friend. of loss and perfect sight and miracles and willy wonka. there was no Body loathing that resulted in closet cutting (although there have been times when truth was lovingly
delivered to restore) just the reminder that there is no lost, only an eternally found. and this, i suspect, is the Body at peak performance.
1 comment:
ok at the risk of sounding like a broken record I just have to share this verse:
For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? (quotation of Isaiah 40:13) But we have the mind of Christ.
I Cor 2:16
how cool is that? we're not just part of a society of individuals. we all partake of the same mind of Christ which has the very wisdom of God. how many times does paul command us to "be of one mind" in his letters? he commands because it's already the truth, it's only logical that we just do it. oh i love that. join me, will you? or maybe i'm the one joining you...
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