Insignificant parts

I have been working in a factory for the past few months and recently had an accident in which I injured the ring finger on my right hand.  Now I have always been a lefty, which is fortunate, particularly right now since my right hand has been seriously impaired.  But that has not diminished the effect this rather small injury has had on my life lately.  It is amazing how many daily activities I used my non-dominant hand for without ever giving much notice; holding a fork while trying to cut my food, drying myself after a shower, picking up my granddaughter, or just sticking my hands in my pockets, and the list goes on and on.

As a result, I have been going to a hand specialist two hours away once a week, and have started occupational therapy three times a week closer to home, all to attend to the needs of this one seemingly insignificant little body part.  The therapy consists of shaking both shoulders, massaging my back (aah) and bending and twisting every joint in my arm and hand in ways they were never intended to move just to repair this one seemingly insignificant little body part.  But as my therapist says "...it is all connected" as depicted in this famous drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci.

This reminded me of the analogy the Apostle Paul used in comparing the parts of the human body to the church and how there are no insignificant parts.  Take a look at what he had to say in First Corinthians 12:12-14, 26 & 27 "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.  For in fact the body is not one member but many... And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually."  Of course Paul is talking to the Church in this passage.  And what he is saying here is that we are all supposed to be so closely connected to one another that whenever one of us is hurting we (the Church body) all feel it.

It seems that many churches today consider themselves "family friendly" or perhaps "family oriented" even "dedicated to the protection of the family" or simply "church families".  These are all wonderful concepts, but is that really what Paul was saying to the saints in Corinth?  I think he had something more in mind.  As closely connected as a family may be, even the most closely connected family or church is still not connected in the same way a body is.  Flesh and bone, organs and tendons all connected in such a way that whenever even the smallest, most insignificant part of that body suffers, the entire body suffers with it.  Just as my finger suffers and my whole body is affected, the church body should be similarly affected whenever any member of that body is suffering.  No matter how seemingly small or insignificant that individual may appear to be, we are to suffer with them.  That takes some pretty tight connections, and even more commitment than most Christians are willing to submit to.

So what is the extent of your connection to your church body?  Do you really hurt when another is hurting?  Do you allow others to become so close that they hurt when you are hurting?  Are you even aware when someone is absent, and if you are are you concerned enough to find out why?  Too often we have allowed our churches to become gathering places where friends and acquaintances "touch base" with one another for an hour or two on a Sunday morning; maybe listening to what others are facing and perhaps offering to be praying for them.  But are we really connected?  Connected as a body?  If not, why not, and what might the result be if we were that tightly connected?  These are tough questions, I know, but what if we were to strive to attain that level of connectedness?

As for my finger, it is most certainly connected.  The rest of my body is well aware of the suffering of my poor finger, and is rushing to its aid with healing doing everything possible to end its suffering.  I kind of think that is what Paul had in mind when he addressed the Corinthian church.  Whenever a part of our body is suffering we must rush to its aid, and whenever we find ourselves suffering we should likewise allow others to come to our aid. 

So get connected!  Know what the hurts are and find a way to ease the pain.  Come on!  I know we can all do it together.  After all - we are the Body of Christ.

Blessings on you.