connecting the dots.
I had a realization today that immediately brought me back about six years to a moment on a plane when I sensed the Spirit giving me a vision.
I remember it so clearly. I was sitting on the right side of the plane, in a window seat, looking out at the sky. It was a blue-sky sort of day with clouds that can only be described as perfectly fluffy white. The kind of clouds kids love to imagine what hidden objects are floating by.
This vision was overwhelming in the moment - seemingly impossible even. I remember the first thought I had was, “There is no way I can do this.” And the immediate response I got from God was, “I’m not asking you to do it. But I am sharing this vision with you and entrusting you with it.”
That felt heavy and light at the same time. I recognized the burden of responsibility to handle it with care, not forcing it into a space it wasn’t intended. Since then, I’ve been cautious to share its entirety with others. I’ve considered it to be precious and fragile.
Today’s realization created a new link to this vision I hadn’t made before.
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, we learn of the intended makeup of how we, as believers, are to relate to each other.
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (NIV)
We are considered one body with many parts and compared to the human body made up of many parts. But the direction of this analogy is to help us see that we are one in the Spirit and are all needed parts for the whole body to function.
While that may seem a bit obvious, the thing I had not considered was the intentional way this was written. The focus of this parallel isn’t on the parts themselves, but their role played for the whole body. The distinction I realized today is the priority that’s placed on the whole body, rather than on any part or parts.
Side Note: Since God’s Word is living and active, He allows us to see and understand things in new ways all the time, even if we’ve read something many times. This is how incredible His revelation is! With every life season, challenge, high, low, moment, His Word can speak directly into where we are.
If we focus on each member of the body and their individual part, we miss the bigger picture created here. When you think about one part of the body, the eyes for example, there are several other parts of the body that are required to make sure that part can do its job, right?
The eye operates through a complex process involving many other parts of the body. Light initially enters through the cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye. It passes through the pupil, which is in the center of the iris, regulating the amount of light that can enter the eye. The iris adjusts the size of the pupil based on the lighting conditions. After passing through the pupil, the light is focused by the lens onto the retina, which lines the back of the eye. The retina contains photoreceptor cells known as rods and cones, which convert light into electrical signals. These signals are then transmitted through the optic nerve to the brain. The brain interprets these signals, allowing us to perceive the visual information, including shapes, colors, and movement, which make up our visual experience of the world. (insert mind-blown emoji, right?!)
That is 8 different parts of the body that all have to work for what we call “the eye” to see and decipher what we are seeing. But that’s the whole point! These parts are all very important for seeing to happen, but they aren’t the focus. The focus is on the whole body’s need for these parts to work together to do anything.
As the body of Christ, we have this same responsibility: to work together for the body to function. We can’t just sit in our little area using gifts (that God has given us for the benefit of the whole body, just to throw that into the mix as well) without being connected to the rest of the body. That isn’t the point!
The purpose of our parts is to be a part of the body. It is to be connected to the body. To serve the other parts of the body. To be interwoven, interworking, interlaced with other parts of the body. We are not intended to be doing our “work” in and for the kingdom of God without connecting with the other people who are a part of that body doing other things for the same body and kingdom.
There are so many ways we can end up in a laser-focused mindset about what work we are doing – even if it is for the Kingdom of God – that prevents us from seeing outside of our own world, project, calling, purpose, ministry, etc. We can fail to see the ultimate purpose and calling of the body of Christ when this compartmentalization happens. We can get so caught up in the “lane” we are in, that we forget it merges with other lanes, and we need to work with and communicate with others in those lanes to be able to function at our best: for the whole body.
The vision I had was a beautiful and clear picture of every part working in tandem with every other part. It was a unified effort for THE calling and purpose of the Kingdom of God. It was unified impact on every area of society and culture with the love of Christ. It was and can be profound, some might even call it impossible.
