Celebrate Diversity

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

Focus Statement

As the body of Christ, we are called to celebrate the diverse ways God is reflected in each and every person.

Point of Relation

I am a huge comic book and graphic novel fan. Shocker, right?!?!?

In particular, I am a huge DC Comic fan.

My favorite character of all time is Batman.

There’s so much there that I can relate to...

The struggle to move past a traumatic past...

and the depression and anxiety that produces.

The struggle to not let one’s own demons…

their own hurts, fears and hang ups...

bring them down a bad path.

The struggle to rise up out of the ashes of pain, fear and suffering...

to embrace one’s fears…and to use them to propel us to do good...

to stand up for justice and to make the world a better place...

even if just slightly.

Granted, I can’t relate to being a billionaire and having endless resources at my disposal...

Still, I find Bruce Wayne/Batman to be a very, very relatable character.

With that said, I have come to love other heroes too.

In fact, one of my more favorite DC Comics movies as of late...

was Zach Snyder’s Justice League.

In that, you have Batman form an alliance with others who are much different than him, in order to save the world from annihilation.

Others such as the loner Aquaman...

Who is not much of a people person.

Then there’s Cyborg, a cranky. moody teenager who was killed in an accident...

In particular, I am a huge DC Comic fan.

and his scientist father pieced him back together to use him as a weapons accident. Not the kind of dad that typically wins father of the year award.

Then there’s the nerdy young adult, Barry Allen, also known as the Flash.

He’s a somewhat immature, but brilliant kid who was struck by an electrical force

that rearranged his atoms and gave him the power to run at tremendous speeds…

so fast that he can actually break through the plane of the multiverse and jump into alternate realities.

But Barry is also broken. His mother was killed and his father wrongfully sent to jail for her murder...

And he desperately wants to clear his father’s name.

Then there’s Diana Prince, an Amazonian warrior and demigod,

Who has chosen to live in the world of people so that she can contribute to making it a just and safer world.

She, of course, is also known as Wonder Woman.

My favorite character of all time is Batman.

Finally, there’s Clark Kent or Superman, who is an alien from Krypton…who’s on earth because his parents sent him there to avoid dying in the planet’s destruction.

He and Batman have a rocky relationship, but Batman has come to appreciate Superman because of his honestly, his loyalty, and commitment to justice.

Ironically, though he is not a human…he almost makes the ideal human being...

bearing a lot of qualities (minus the obvious stuff) similar to Jesus.

Anyway, Bruce Wayne assembled this team because, though often a loner, he knew he couldn’t do this alone.

There’s so much there that I can relate to...

His unique skill sets weren’t enough. He needed to be one piece in a larger puzzle…

and he would have to lay his hangups aside…

to be that piece and invite others in.

The struggle to move past a traumatic past...

Each member of the Justice League turned out to be essential in their own unique way...

and the depression and anxiety that produces.

And through Bruce Wayne’s humility…and the teams collaboration…the world was saved.

The struggle to not let one’s own demons…

their own hurts, fears and hang ups...

bring them down a bad path.

The struggle to rise up out of the ashes of pain, fear and suffering...

to embrace one’s fears…and to use them to propel us to do good...

to stand up for justice and to make the world a better place...

even if just slightly.

Granted, I can’t relate to being a billionaire and having endless resources at my disposal...

Still, I find Bruce Wayne/Batman to be a very, very relatable character.

With that said, I have come to love other heroes too.

In fact, one of my more favorite DC Comics movies as of late...

was Zach Snyder’s Justice League.

In that, you have Batman form an alliance with others who are much different than him, in order to save the world from annihilation.

Others such as the loner Aquaman...

Who is not much of a people person.

Then there’s Cyborg, a cranky. moody teenager who was killed in an accident...

and his scientist father pieced him back together to use him as a weapons accident. Not the kind of dad that typically wins father of the year award.

Then there’s the nerdy young adult, Barry Allen, also known as the Flash.

He’s a somewhat immature, but brilliant kid who was struck by an electrical force

that rearranged his atoms and gave him the power to run at tremendous speeds…

so fast that he can actually break through the plane of the multiverse and jump into alternate realities.

But Barry is also broken. His mother was killed and his father wrongfully sent to jail for her murder...

And he desperately wants to clear his father’s name.

Then there’s Diana Prince, an Amazonian warrior and demigod,

Who has chosen to live in the world of people so that she can contribute to making it a just and safer world.

She, of course, is also known as Wonder Woman.

Finally, there’s Clark Kent or Superman, who is an alien from Krypton…who’s on earth because his parents sent him there to avoid dying in the planet’s destruction.

He and Batman have a rocky relationship, but Batman has come to appreciate Superman because of his honestly, his loyalty, and commitment to justice.

Ironically, though he is not a human…he almost makes the ideal human being...

bearing a lot of qualities (minus the obvious stuff) similar to Jesus.

Anyway, Bruce Wayne assembled this team because, though often a loner, he knew he couldn’t do this alone.

His unique skill sets weren’t enough. He needed to be one piece in a larger puzzle…

and he would have to lay his hangups aside…

to be that piece and invite others in.

Each member of the Justice League turned out to be essential in their own unique way...

And through Bruce Wayne’s humility…and the teams collaboration…the world was saved.

Things to Consider

Many people struggle with issues of self-esteem or self-worth.

We commonly compare ourselves to others, thinking others are better than us in some way—smarter, more talented, more beautiful, etc.—

but God has created each of us to be unique and special.

Each person inherently belongs and is needed in the kingdom of God because we were created by God for it.

We are called to celebrate our differences as they reflect the breadth, depth, and width of God’s image in humanity.

What Scripture Says

This passage uses the metaphor of a body to describe the necessary diversity of human beings,

particularly, as they work together as “members of the body of Christ,” (the church community).

Using the body metaphor also emphasizes that our differences are embodied,

not only differences of talent or perspective.

All people are sacred and important to the body of Christ exactly as they are.

Notice in verse 13 that people do not have to change or become the same as one another to “drink of one Spirit.

It is in and with their differences that they are made to drink of the one Spirit.

This was important for the Corinthians to learn because Corinth was diverse ethnically, culturally, religiously, and economically.

Followers of Jesus (both Jewish and Gentile) had a lot of questions about what practices they had to do or to leave behind to be part of the church.

This is part of Paul’s answer.

People can remain different and still be united by the Spirit—in fact, it’s what makes for a healthy church body!

God’s vastness is reflected in the diversity of creation.

As God created each of us to be different, our differences must be celebrated.

As Paul writes about each part of the body being unique and important, we must remember that each person is also unique and important.

No one part of the body of Christ is more important than another.

Sometimes, especially in the church,

we downplay our differences because we want everyone to feel equal and know they are equally loved.

While it is true that we are all equally important and loved,

our differences are not problems to be overcome or unimportant details to be ignored;

they are gifts to be celebrated.

Our differences allow and enable us to work together,

like a body with different parts that work together, to build the kingdom of God.

Each person, different as they are, is necessary to reflect the work that God has called us to do.

Verses 15-17 warn against comparing ourselves to others as though one set of “body parts” is better than another.

Instead, Paul encourages us to lean into and celebrate the fact that each of us was created intentionally.

Just as the foot should not wish to be a hand,

because a foot has been uniquely created to be a foot,

so should we celebrate what each person brings to the body of Christ,

even when the presence of difference might be challenging or look different from the way we ourselves are used to doing things.

As each person is celebrated for the things that make them who they are,

it allows for each individual to be honest about who they are and live authentically.

Invite your community to acknowledge those on the margins,

who may not “fit the mold” of what is considered normal, average, or typical,

especially for your congregation (e.g., single young adults, undocumented people, people who speak other languages, disabled people, people of other faiths, etc.).

How does their absence, or ignoring or erasing their differences,

affect the way the community experiences the diversity of God’s good creation?

How might the community be worse off for not including, celebrating, and embracing these differences?

Just as, if not more important, how might the absence of people with these differences,

or ignoring or failing to celebrate these differences when they are present, create harmful experiences of Christian community?

What This Means for You

We all desire to live openly and authentically as we are,

and we do this best when we can celebrate what makes us who we are as individuals in the community of faith.

I want to encourage you to think about differences that make you feel self-conscious or “less than.”

Stop comparing yourself with others.

Instead…be you…and be the best you that you can be.

Live into what makes you different and embrace those aspects about yourself.

Conversely, let others also be themselves...

And lift up what makes them special and unique.

Celebrate with them those qualities that they bring to the relationship and to the world!

In fact, I want to invite you to think about how you truly react to differences in others, especially differences that make you uncomfortable.

How might you begin to see these differences as part of the diversity of God’s creation

and how can you move towards celebrating them?

What This Means for Us

I want to point out the differences we have in our church that don’t often get celebrated:

For instance, look at the differences in age in our church.

We have kids just starting our in life...

and adults who are nearing the end of their lives here on earth.

And we have people in between those ages too.

We have people who LOVE their traditional music, the organ, choir, and a more traditional liturgy...

And we have people who prefer something more informal and upbeat.

LOOK AT ME…all the tattoos…ear piercings, and an affinity for the weird...

And all of the different people in our context...

People all across the spectrum…in terms of likes, hobbies, lifestyles, and whatnot.

Yet together, look at how we serve Christ and the community...

Look at how we promote and welcome diversity in our Treasures of Hope ministry...

And in our outreach events such as our past Coffee Houses, Open Mics, and other events.

And we could grow to be even more diverse…so that one day our church is reflective of ALL the people of Newton.

How can your we celebrate the differences that often go uncelebrated?

What would it look like if we not only welcomed or tolerated difference, but if we celebrated it?

Think about how our church community can celebrate the vastness of God’s creation in our community.

How can we let people know we are the church that not only celebrates the diversity found in the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) on Sundays,

But a church that celebrates God’s diversity through all of God’s sacred creation?