Unity and Diversity in the Body – A paraphrases of I Corinthians 12:12-26

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether clergy or lay, staff or volunteers, bosses or employees—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ Now if the teacher should say, “Because I am not a community organizer, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the communicator should say, “Because I am not an advocate, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an advocate, where would the interpretation be? If the whole body were a community organizer, where would the education be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The activist cannot say to the evangelist, “I don’t need you!” And the staff cannot say to the parishioners, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ 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, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

My own psalm of lament

My God, my God, why have you betrayed me?

Why have you let this happen?

The one I serve and protect has turned against me.

After I looked for his interests he abandoned me.

He stabbed me and turned the knife inside my guts.

Those who I lead despise me.

They try to take me down.

They don’t find fault in the work of my hands

And they turn to question my integrity.

I’m denied my right to confront them.

Without any knowledge they invent my story.

Others are talking about my life

But I’m not allowed to talk.

My God, my God, why did you bring me here?

I’ve called you and you have been silent.

I’ve asked you to take me away

And you have not responded.

You are all mighty and the power belongs to you.

You know I didn’t want this. I just wanted to teach.

You know I wanted to leave. It didn’t have to be like this.

My God, my God, come to my rescue.

Open the doors that I may leave.

My Lord, I belong to you.

Wherever you take me, please keep me whole and help me live.