Body Language
Do you feel important? More important than I?
On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. - 1 Corinthians 12:22-26
Paul gives us the image of a human body as an example of the way we all come together in Christ.
We have different functions and yet all of us together make the body work.
But not all parts of the body are treated the same, and not all are deemed equally important, even though it would be hard to adjust to the loss of any part.
Yet we cannot ignore such a loss in our physical bodies. Even if we could regrow a lost limb or replace it with something else, it wouldn't be the same, and it would take some time to get used to the differences.
So, if all are called to be one with God through Christ, shouldn't we treat each other with respect and appreciate the contributions each of us make?
When we look at it that way, it seems obvious that we should recognize each other's value, but then we go out into the world and somehow our vision gets clouded.
I guess a lot depends on our own judgment.
We look at the work of someone else and see flaws and faults, while our own work is held high. We can justify our actions while finding similar actions in others to be signs of abuse or neglect or disrespect.
Maybe that is the whole point of Paul's message, to get us to see each other without judgment.
If it is, it may be lost on us. We tend to get so caught up in our own importance, we fail to see others as vital as well.
Until they are gone, that is.
Like the feeling we get from a lost limb or member, we will feel the pain when all the others are gone, and we find ourselves alone.
Then it will be too late.
More to come...