21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect.
–1 Corinthians 12:21-23
This is how it’s supposed to work.
I wonder who is the most important person in the church? Who should get the most honor and recognition in the church? Some might say the pastor; some might say the council; some might say the musicians. Maybe we all have a different person or group in mind.
That’s how the Corinthian church saw things. Placing special honor and position on certain people based on their social class system seemed only proper. Their Greco-Roman understanding of how the world worked made this a natural assumption in the life of the church.
Without pointing out the obvious correlation to today’s church life, I wonder how we might honor the lesser known or noticed members of the Body of Christ? How can we lift up and acknowledge the gifts, talents, and contributions of those who carry out God’s work every day? We are all called into the same ministry: that of sharing, serving, and proclaiming Jesus. And without every member of the Body working, the Body stumbles and falls.
Today, I honor those who gather food for the hungry; I honor those who work to ensure that everyone can vote; I honor those who advocate for the prisoner; I honor those who coordinate housing resources for others; I honor those who walk the riverside picking up trash; I honor those who give money to people on the side of the road; and I honor everyone who do so many other things that are not noticed, but that bring the love of God to someone else.
This week, if you see or hear of someone doing something that helps someone else, take the time to honor them with your words; and if you are able, join them in the work for the sake of the Gospel.
Blessings and honor be unto you.