Friday, October 29, 2010

One Body with Many Parts

Henri Nouwen is a unique writer. Even though he is a Catholic priest, his writing is well read by believers of all denominations. In this simple short passage, Nouwen addresses a pertinent topic: the Body of Christ is one Body. And each one of us are gathered by the Lord to become different parts of the Body. Nouwen writes:

ONE BODY WITH MANY PARTS
By Henri Nouwen
The Church is one body. Paul writes, "We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13). But this one body has many parts. As Paul says, "If they were all the same part, how could it be a body? As it is, the parts are many but the body is one" (1 Corinthians 12:19). 

Not everyone can be everything. Often we expect one member of the body to fulfill a task that belongs to others. But the hand cannot be asked to see nor the eye to hear.

Together we are Christ's body, each of us with a part to play in the whole (see 1 Corinthians 12:27). Let's be grateful for our limited but real part in the body.


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