I've been reflecting on spiritual disciplines in the last two posts. One discipline which is not perhaps so obvious as prayer and retreat is the discipline of community. There are lots of things I love about community - having people to talk to and share life with; being able to work and play together; having so many different people's talents and perspectives on life. But there are things which can be really hard too. In a small community, and most churches are fairly small communities, if you fall out with someone, you can't get away from each other; you have to deal with your issues.
I have often reflected on Paul's words about the body of Christ (i.e. the church):
If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” (1 Corinthians 12:15-21 NLT).
The church is just like a biological family in many ways. You might really loathe your little brother who winds you up so much that you scream at him and then you get into trouble (not that I'm speaking from experience, you understand), but that doesn't stop him being family. And even if you never speak to him again, he is still your family. You can reject your family members, tell them "this family would be better off without you", but that doesn't stop them being family. Christians can be horrible to each other (and often are), but that doesn't stop us being joined together by Christ, who called for us to be one. It's a tough discipline.
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