Has anyone else felt not quite like themself recently? This past week I attempted to sort out these feelings for myself. This quarantine experience has made me more aware of our design to be in community. Each of us was created to function in community. I have keenly felt the loss of community. It’s not simply missing people. It’s that, once removed from community, a part of who I am is lost.

It is difficult to navigate when lost. One has to find their bearings in order to make progress. Being disoriented in the lack of community, I sought out Bible passages that speak about community. I hoped to gain a sense of orientation and some guidance on how to move forward. I was impressed by 1 Corinthians 12:13, which says, “Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body.” It would not for that reason stop being part of the body.”

We are all knitted together as the body of Christ in a miraculous and mysterious way. We cannot detach ourselves from the body by being dissatisfied by our role. Our bond is of the Spirit and therefore spiritual. Likewise, we cannot be detached from the body of Christ by physical distance. We are still the body, we are connected, and even now we have gifts to use.

Using our spiritual gifts is a physical means by which the spiritual body manifests itself. It’s an amazing combination of spiritual and physical. This is where it gets difficult now. We are dealing with unusual physical limitations. Using our gifts requires some creativity at the moment. But let us not lose sight that we are part of a spiritual body. Lean in and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal how you can participate in the body during this time. The Holy Spirit is very creative.

The Spirit gives each one of us different gifts. Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 both relay information about various gifts. Never before had I realized that both of these passages come after exhortations to sacrifice and humble oneself. Romans 12 begins with Paul urging his readers to offer themselves as living sacrifices, not conform to the world, and relinquish pride. Before 1 Corinthians 12, Paul instructs his readers about the Lord’s Supper; that they should be humble and unified, making sure all have a place at the table. Both passages lay out a context of humility and sacrifice for gifts and their use in the body.

Both of these passages are also followed by demonstrations of love in action. The section about spiritual gifts in Romans 12 is followed by descriptions and practical examples of love, even in difficult situations. 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, follows Chapter 12’s description of the body of Christ and spiritual gifts. This highlights that although each of us has different gifts, all of us are called to love and use our gifts in love.

Most of all, let us move forward in love. Let us be examples of love in action. I have been concerned that this virus is stripping many of their perceived humanity. What do I mean by that? If you have been at the grocery store or anywhere out in public, you may have observed this trend. People keep their distance, but it feels like it is turning into something more than just physical distance. I get the impression that when some see another person in the store, they don’t see a person, but the potential of the virus. The other person is not a fellow human being, but a danger to be avoided. A germ. Be conscious of your feelings and attitudes concerning others. Share a smile. Say hello. Act in a way that shows others that you recognize them as a much-loved creation of God. You can be wise and loving. Do not follow the pattern of this world but set yourself apart in love.

Scriptures for this week center on the community in Christ. Please note: I have deliberately sectioned the passage in 1 Corinthians so that it does not follow chapter breaks in order to somewhat maintain the original flow of thought. Chapter breaks cause a mental division of the text which separates ideas. There were no chapters or verses in the original text. Those were added over a thousand years later for convenience. Read each section keeping the context of the previous section in mind.
Romans 12
1 Corinthians 11:20 – 12:3
1 Corinthians 12:4 – 20
1 Corinthians 12:21 – 13:7
1 Corinthians 13:8 – 14:12