1 Corinthians 12:12-27
One Body with Many Members
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptised into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
Tuesday 13th September 1988 - A Surprise for the Cardinal
We were not the only guests at Warsaw’s Lutheran Theological Centre; for a group of Lutheran Bishops where also accommodated in the building. The reason for their visit to Warsaw was they were due to have an audience with Cardinal Glemp, Primate of the Polish Catholic Church that morning. In conversation with this ecclesiastical delegation from Denmark, it was suggested that we should ‘march’ the bishops down to the Cardinal’s Palace. The Bishops looked at each other and with a smile where bowled over with the idea; they commented it would be like having the Queens Guards Band marching them into Buckingham Palace.
There was one problem, although we had permission to march, this unscheduled parade would be without police escort. So off we marched from the Lutheran Centre down ul Miodowa, a wide Boulevard stretching towards the Old City of Warsaw. The fact that we were marching through the morning traffic it was down to me to direct vehicles trying to overtake the marching column. I recall an elderly gentleman in his ancient fiat trying to weave around us whilst another vehicle was coming in the opposite direction. I can still see the horror in that gent’s face, as I stepped out with my hand in the air signalling for him to stop. I suddenly realised what must have passed through his mind, for there standing before him in a military styled almost black uniform with SS on the lapels; did this momentarily bring back dark memories of the past. Such haunting reflections was to become a recurring theme throughout the rest of the campaign.
With Flags Flying and our Episcopal guest in tow we marched through the gates into the courtyard of Borchow Palace. There was a lot of scurrying amongst the Cardinals staff and eventually the Cardinal’s secretary came out to meet us and then went back into the building to notify the Cardinal who duly came out to see us. In the meantime the band played the Hymntune St Francis that brought many Cassocked Staff out to the courtyard. Cardinal Glemp, in perfect English said, “The Polish People need music.” He also mentioned that he was just about to leave for Rome to report on this recent lists to White Russia. Who knows, perhaps we had a mention at the Vatican.
What this episode taught me was that mission and ministry is one of extremes; the old gentleman in his almost well past it's sell by date beat-up fiat, the sharing with Lutheran Colleagues and the at the other end of the scale, the solemnity and influence of Roman Catholic majority religion of that country.
It is easy to become, what I would call siloed Christian's, where our part of the body becomes the focus to the detriment of the whole body. In terms of our physical bodies, the parallel is obvious and eventually would lead to dis-ease.
There is a remedy to this 'illness' found in the words of St Patrick with it's central prayer "Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
Here is the whole prayer.
Christ, as a light
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right. Amen
Tomorrow - Haunting Symbols of hurt and hardship
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