...that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. - 1Co 12:25-27 ESV
The natural world contains about 7.7 million animal species, according to a new estimate described by scientists as the most accurate ever. Just imagine the diversity of it and the kind of creativity that goes into creating each one. But equally mind-boggling is the fact that most of these life forms, when left alone by themselves will propagate and co-exist in a finely tuned balance. Yes, there are predators and parasites but even this has no power to destroy the balance. But then comes man.
In the society that man created, there are also predators and parasites. But unlike in the animal world where predation is limited to survival, man has vastly expanded the reason why they take advantage of each other. There is also greed, envy and sometimes pure malice.
Thankfully, there's a solution to this distortion of life. The solution comes through the powerful name of Jesus Christ, the name above every name (Phil 2:9; Acts 4:12). Though we are still individuals with specific needs and wants, the uniting spirit that comes from knowing Christ makes us all like one body (vv. 12-13). Though we are many, it's possible to be one, to have no division but instead to be one in this: to care for the body, just like every member of our bodies must be one in the purpose of taking care of ourselves. If in one body there can be no rebellious parts, so it is with those whom God called into His own body, the church.
We can actually go from the most specific to the most general in the search for this unity. It has God's hand print written all over them. Our eyes has many parts but no part there is without use in the function of seeing. We go to the whole human body and we see the same thing. There's no human part that does not add in any way to the quality of life that we should have. Yes, we can lose some and still survive but not perfectly. Then we have communities. The reason we can form communities is that we find that if we work together, cooperate together and even stay together we work for ONE common thing: our survival and happiness. Extend that to countries and then the whole world. We see the same principle at work. If only we can be one in thought and goal, we may just see a one world. The reason this is still a distant dream is that people are not yet united in one thing: we have not fully recovered our humanity as designed by God. We are all still struggling from many selfish motives and that makes us abuse each other. Again, only in Christ and in really submitting to him, giving up our individual persons and letting His own person take over. To some that sounds scary. But those like Apostle Paul who did it (Gal 2:20) can tell us that only in that giving up of self can one find his real self, his better self, a self that is better able to transform the world into one.
The pursuit of a better self that leads to a better society and eventually to a better world can only take one path: the path of peace through Jesus Christ. By all means, let's cling to Him. Through Him we find various help to this end. He appoints people along our path to help us (v. 28). He bestows on us enabling gifts like love, joy peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Gal 5:22) so that we can rise above our pitiful selfishness. He may even alter events and produce miracles if necessary so that we get where we should. All our confidence must be in Him and Him alone. In Him, we can be many but we remain one. In Him we find our better selves.
