The Indispensability of the Weak
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 part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:22-27, italics added)
Several weeks ago I went for a long overdue massage. My therapist asked, "What side do you carry your daughter on?" "My left side," I answered. "I can tell," she replied, "That side is much more tense in comparison to your right side. You probably carry her on that side so you can do other things with your right hand." I agreed. She went on to inform me that the dominant side of our body is actually much weaker than our other side. In my case, my left arm has to support my child so I can accomplish tasks with my right hand. The result? My left arm muscles are stronger than my right arm. However, what side gets all the glory? My right side.
This got me thinking. As humans, we desire to be noticed. We enjoy associating with powerful and popular people. Success is often driven by who you know, not who you are. The same kind of thinking can seep into Christian circles. Who often gets the glory in our churches? Well, the visible ones: the people in positions of authority, power, and leadership. And such people are at the risk of becoming addicted to the level of control they possess. And individuals who crave hegemonic influence will fight tooth and nail to assert their dominance. Yet their dominance would cease to exist without the weak.
Instead, the Apostle Paul presents a counter-cultural idea in the book of Corinthians. We need to celebrate and uplift the weak, the less honorable, and the unpresentable people in our communities. The presentable people in our midst do not need special treatment. The author goes on to suggest that if our churches focused on this admonition, we would not suffer from division. Instead, we would have equal concern for each other.
Thus, I propose a challenge. Next time you enter an organization, whether it is your church community or your workplace, take time to notice the weak, the less honorable, and the unpresentable. Go and spend time with these people, because while they may be visibly weak, they are really strong.
Several weeks ago I went for a long overdue massage. My therapist asked, "What side do you carry your daughter on?" "My left side," I answered. "I can tell," she replied, "That side is much more tense in comparison to your right side. You probably carry her on that side so you can do other things with your right hand." I agreed. She went on to inform me that the dominant side of our body is actually much weaker than our other side. In my case, my left arm has to support my child so I can accomplish tasks with my right hand. The result? My left arm muscles are stronger than my right arm. However, what side gets all the glory? My right side.
This got me thinking. As humans, we desire to be noticed. We enjoy associating with powerful and popular people. Success is often driven by who you know, not who you are. The same kind of thinking can seep into Christian circles. Who often gets the glory in our churches? Well, the visible ones: the people in positions of authority, power, and leadership. And such people are at the risk of becoming addicted to the level of control they possess. And individuals who crave hegemonic influence will fight tooth and nail to assert their dominance. Yet their dominance would cease to exist without the weak.
Instead, the Apostle Paul presents a counter-cultural idea in the book of Corinthians. We need to celebrate and uplift the weak, the less honorable, and the unpresentable people in our communities. The presentable people in our midst do not need special treatment. The author goes on to suggest that if our churches focused on this admonition, we would not suffer from division. Instead, we would have equal concern for each other.
Thus, I propose a challenge. Next time you enter an organization, whether it is your church community or your workplace, take time to notice the weak, the less honorable, and the unpresentable. Go and spend time with these people, because while they may be visibly weak, they are really strong.