Every Part?

"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" (I Corinthians 12:21-27).

This past Sunday there was a presentation at our church about a new program at a school in Birdville that our church has helped establish. A health clinic has been set up at an elementary school in order to help ensure that the health of children from low-income families is being cared for. These families don't have the money to take care of their children the way they want to and need to. So the church, following the lead of a woman in the community, decided to do something. It didn't just pray for God to take care of it. The church took action.

I was glad to hear about this program. You see, community and social issues have been eating at me. Churches so often don't do something to help solve the problems that surround them. That goes against what God designed us to do and be.

The passage from I Corinthians 12 is familiar to churchgoers. When I read it this morning, I thought about the fact that we need to adopt this attitude in regard to all believers, not just the ones that sit down the pew from us on Sunday morning. And for that matter, we need to think this way in regard to all people. Every human being is a creation of God. Do we really treat every human being as an equal? If not, why not? Fear? Fear is an ugly thing. It keeps us paralyzed and prevents us from becoming what God intended us to be and do. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.... The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (I John 4:18).

I am not perfect in love. How often do I reach out to a stranger who is radically different from myself? This bothers me. Ideas have been brewing in my head of what to do about this. God, give me the courage, wisdom, and guidance to know what to do with all this.