The Body
Equality is often the cry of the masses, yet is equality really what anyone is hoping for? Equality is something that we all find as an acceptable goal, so we use that “term” to fight for something upon which the majority can agree.
It is obvious that a feeling of “well-being” is often subject to one’s position in society, not necessarily one’s income. If everyone in society is treated equally, or if all of society’s standard of living rises the same, we would still be angry because our position when compared to others has not changed, and that seems to be what really matters.
We really are not interested in the tide of fortune rising all the lifeboats, just ours. and when that does not happen, we become an angry, bitter, and depressed people.
The Scriptures give us a healthy way to view people where all people are equal in importance, yet unique in purpose. God uses the illustration of a body, and compares each member of His family to being a part of this body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12 (ESV) says this: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”
Paul goes on to say this in 1 Corinthians 12:27-30 (ESV): “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?”
Healthy people first and foremost have a healthy relationship with God and understand that it is He who made us, and He has a great plan for us. They understand that everyone God has made is unique, not equal, yet all can be equally successful by having an unfettered access and response to the brain, which is Himself.
Healthy people rejoice in diversity, care that each part of the body is successful, and do not try to take advantage of others for self-gain.
From time to time, various body parts become injured, and the rest of the body needs to respond properly to the injury. Recently, I needed to undergo foot surgery to help correct a severe arthritic condition. Although the surgery was on a toe, the rest of the body needed to work together to get that foot functional again. In my case, it was not just my body that needed to make adjustments, but my wife’s life as well. For a time, she had to help me with some basic needs, and her help and kindness was a vital part of the healing process.
A simple, small body part lost its unique function, and the rest of the body, and someone else’s body came to the rescue. I am still in the midst of the rehab, and the demands on my wife have lessened, yet the road to complete recovery will be months.
My body cannot afford to ignore or isolate my toe. It must work towards complete health so that my entire body is healthy.
Notice that my concern is not superiority; it is healing. My hope is that my toe can begin to function as a healthy toe as soon as possible, so that my entire body can function as it was meant to be.
When we are fixated on our relative position in life, rather than our unique function in life, we will never be satisfied with life. Equality is not being the same; it is being unique and having the same opportunity to participate in the well-being of the whole.
When all my body parts function correctly, none of them seem to scream for attention. My whole body is known as Dave, not as Dave’s arm, toe, leg or wrist. When one refers to Dave, they are speaking of the sum total of all those parts.
Our culture will remain unhealthy if it focuses on being the same. We will never heal unless we all work towards healing and allow the pain to accomplish its purposes. We cannot heal if we keep expecting to be superior to others.
This all starts with God, yet, since we have dismissed Him from our culture, and we are trying to be a body without a brain where each part does what is right in its own eyes, we have nothing but discord and confusion.
We the people need to once again subject ourselves to the brain, to God, or lose all hope for today and our future. For now, the choice is ours.
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