Day 23 of Lent: Our Lives Can Heal the Body of Christ

If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.  I Corinthians 12:26

Every part of the body of Christ is connected.  In the body of Christ, no part is unnecessary.  Like the human body, every part is needed, even those whom we doubt their worth (such as the appendix) or even know their value (such as the appendix).  What appears obvious and attractive to the eye may be less important for survival than what is hidden and overlooked.

We are cosmic as well as individual beings.  We belong to the universe and to all its inhabitants.  We are not ultimately defined by our ethnicity, nationality, or abilities but we are connected to the planet and the universe.  Our spirits are meant to embrace the entire family of life on earth.

We are to live in community, not in solitude forever.  Our lives embrace human and nonhuman companions.  Unity and diversity reflect the abundance of divine creativity that gives life to all on the planet.

You are essential to the well being of the body of Christ, but so are every minute living species that inhabits the globe.  Plankton, the residents of the rain forests, and our companion pets are all important and valuable to God's family.  Our calling is to find our place within the interconnected universal body of Christ and to fulfill the calling that has been placed upon us.

Imagine:
I claim my vocation as God's partner in ministry to the body of Christ.
My gifts bring healing to my human and nonhuman companions.
My gifts bring healing in a specific way.

Prayer:
Healing hands of Jesus, touch our lives and touch our world.  Move within every cell and soul. Transform us that we might radiate your wholeness and healing as your companions in healing the world.  Let healing abound; let very act and every word bring joy and wholeness to all creation.  We pray in the name of the Healer Jesus.  Amen.