Day 19
Author: Von Parangalan
July 02, 2020
“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up
one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are
Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But, we have all been baptized
into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
The pandemic caused by Covid-19 has done so many things to
us, both positive and negative. I marvel at the wonderful time I was able to
spend with my family, and, although far from ideal, it has brought us closer
together. While it is a huge blessing to be sheltering in place with my family,
it is also a huge challenge. I did not realize that being crammed together in
our house would test my patience immensely. You see, my parents are visiting us
from the Philippines. They have been here since January and cannot go back
because of travel restrictions. So, there’s: my Mom and Dad, my wife, and my
three daughters who are 19, 18, and 16 years of age (any Dads feel sorry for me
yet?). Imagine the dynamics. I have many examples, but let me give you just
one...
My Dad and I are polar opposites. Because time is what we
have in abundance, there are many things in our house that are now getting more
attention. There is the leaking toilet, the widows needing repair, and the
overdue car maintenance work — just to name a few. It would not be unusual for
our day to start with my father’s sermon on how I had failed to do proper
maintenance of these things which will now cost more to fix. Once we agree that
we need to do something, it needs to be his way or the highway. At the end of
the day though, we will be able to finish the task (albeit with many
arguments). Then, we will end the day by playing chess, in which he is clearly
the superior player.
I am reminded by the Apostle Paul, in his second letter to
the church in Corinth, when he said in 1st Corinthians 12: 18-21,
“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.””
In the same way that my Dad and I cannot let our differences
overpower the bond we have as family, we too in our church must remember that
we are one body. We are brought together by the mighty power of the blood of
our Savior Jesus. In this moment, where our church can be separated by our
individual preferences, let us remember that what unites us is far superior
than what separates us.
Interestingly, this call to be united in one body in chapter
12 is followed by the Apostle Paul with an in-depth discussion of what love is
in Chapter 13. He knew that disagreements would happen in the church, and he
prepared us.
Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Forgive us when
we as your people become the source of disgrace to your name because we have
allowed our differences to overpower what unites us in your Son. Help us trust
in your love to flow in and through us. Holy Spirit, empower us to love others,
especially the ones that we are most different from.
Von Parangalan
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