One Body

 

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” – Ephesians 4:1-6

Once there was a body, and it was a beautiful body from the outside to the inside.  It went places, it accomplished great things, and the people that saw it marveled at the power it had.

But one day the left knee decided it should bend, while the right knee complained, and said “It’s too hard for me to bend, and there’s nothing accomplished by it.  So I refuse to bend.”  So the left knee tried to bend alone, but could not.

The next day the left foot said “I feel need to walk into the water.” But as he started toward the water, the right foot shouted, “Stop! That’s not necessary! We should just wash ourselves here.  We don’t need to get all wet!”  The left foot could not go without the right, so he stopped.

Then the left hand felt the need to clap, but the right hand complained. “It’s ridiculous for you to make such noise! What will others think? I won’t be a part of it!”  So the left hand could not clap.

The left leg suddenly felt the desire to dance, and he said to the right leg, “Come! Please dance with me! It makes me happy!” But the right leg sat still, and frowned at the left leg.  He said “This is not a dance hall! I will not be a part of it!”  To the left leg sat down too, and was grieved that he was not allowed to dance.

Later on the left eye saw a young man sitting all alone and hungry.  The eye began to shed tears, and wanted to help the young man.  But the right eye said “Stop the crying.  He’s alone because he wants to be alone.  If he’s hungry, let him find a job!”  With the correction, the left eye no longer felt he should look at the young man.

Then the creator of the body saw what happening.  There was the body, the beautiful body of Christ, disabled by its own inner struggles.  He spoke up, and said, why can’t you just “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE, endeavoring to keep THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE.”  Do you not understand that you are “ONE BODY and ONE SPIRIT, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and IN YOU ALL.”?

Jesus did not come to give division through denominations and break up the body according to petty traditions.  He came to save the world.  What we could accomplish if the entire body of Christ -  Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Nazarenes - all believers would work together as one body, working in the power of One Spirit.