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"For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another" (Romans 12:4-5, NET).

As the church, we are in Christ, of Christ, and the body of Christ. This is one of my favorite metaphors for the Church. The idea of being "the body of Christ" stresses two things: unity and acting as Christ would act.

As the body of Christ, we have unity with Christ, who is the head, which means he is part of the body himself. As the body of Christ, we have unity with each other, "for we are members of His body" (Ephesians 5:30, NET). Our goal is not ourselves or "selfish ambition" (Philippians 2), but "to build up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12, NET).

Wait a second. Love someone else above myself? Consider them more significant than me?

Oy vey.

But think of it this way: you are part of them and they are part of you. We belong. Many people go through life feeling like they never belong.

But we do.

Members of Christ's body belong to Christ and to each other. It may not be easy. In fact, it can be downright frustrating and sometimes painful!

Other times, though, this body lifts you up, encourages you, loves on you, prays for you, and comforts you in ways that no one else can. As the body of Christ, we belong to Christ and to each other when we don't really belong in this world. We are one unit, which means that no one of us has to go it alone.

Together, we participate in the body of Christ, symbolized by breaking the bread and the drinking of the cup together.

We participate collectively.

We act together. We move together. We love together.

Which brings me to the second thing that this image emphasizes: acting as Christ would act. Or to put it another way, incarnating Christ.

Carne means flesh. Christ became flesh. He still is, but he no longer walks this earth in the flesh.

He left that to us.

We walk this earth in the flesh. We hug the crying, bind the wounds of the hurt, stir a pot of soup for the hungry. We flesh out Christ's love.

As Christ's body, we incarnate Christ.

In this new year at a time when resolutions are made, pray about how being part of the body of Christ should affect your loving and your acting. Does everything you do glorify the head of the body, Christ? Does everything you do build up the body of Christ in faith? Does everything you do reflect Christ's actions of love toward the hurting and oppressed? Are you depending on Christ, the head of the body? Are you leaning on the other members of the body?
Does everything you do show that you belong to the body of Christ?

Learn more about this author, Heather Goodman.
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