Not One, But Many

For the body is not one member, but many.  If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?  If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?  If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

I Corinthians 12:14-18

In the Body of Christ, there is true diversity and genuine unity.  It is as we recognize this that we understand how to fulfill our role within the Body.  As Paul points out, the foot, the hand, the ear and the eye are all part of the body.  None of them are the same, yet each of them is necessary.  None of them can say, ‘because I am not some other body part, I am not a member at all.’  As individuals we may wait some time, perhaps even years, to come to definite conclusions about what our exact role is in the Body of Christ.  It is not always self-evident.  Over time, as our understanding of Christ, and of His Body increases, we begin to appreciate the uniqueness of the talents and abilities, which each of us has in order to contribute to the greater good.  This is a far cry from thinking that because our talents and abilities are not the same as another person’s that therefore we are not a member of the Body.  As members of the Body of Christ, the Head is what brings us together, and issues assignments best suited to our particular gifts.  By the fulfilling of these roles, we bring glory to Christ, the Living Head. 

Our Gracious and Loving God,
we rejoice that You have made us one,
even though we are very diverse.
We praise You that as each of us
fulfills our role, we bring glory to Christ,
our Savior and our Head.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning