If We Are the Body

Listen to this as you read this post: If We Are the Body

Now I'm the kind of person who likes to connect the dots. I learn best when I can see the bigger picture and how each individual thing I'm doing or learning fits into this bigger picture. It comes as no wonder then that I constantly question what the classes I take have to do with me. What do these classes have to do with my faith and my relationship with God.

I'm taking three English classes this quarter--which is killing me by the way--and two of them revolve around people with disabilities. In one of these classes a few days ago, in one of those rare moments when I happened to actually be paying attention in class my teacher said something really interesting. It was something along these lines: Disability is not something within the body, but disability is a body meeting a society that doesn't accommodate it.

That really struck me. As followers of Christ we're called to be a body--a society--that supports and accepts each other. So then if the above words are true then a disability isn't something that is within a body--an individual--but rather it is when we as a body don't choose to accommodate this person(s). And let's face it, who of us isn't disabled? Who of us doesn't have problems and struggles. Disabilities aren't limited to physical difficulties; we're all broken people

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Also, I think that there is a possibility for me to explore this topic further--the integration of faith and disability--by making it the focus of my final paper for one of my classes. If you could all pray for in this area that will be greatly appreciated. Please pray that God will open the doors in three areas:

1. That my teacher will be open to this subject and not only open but encouraging
2. That my teacher will allow the slight change in format that will be required in order for me to write this paper (the final paper is suppose to focus on at least one primary and secondary reading, which will most likely not be possible with the way i'm approaching it)
3. That God will open my eyes and bless me with insight so that I can approach the teacher with a logically and cohesive argument, so I can prove to her that this paper can actually go somewhere