The body of Christ
If you’re anything like me, watching the news is becoming increasingly unappealing; it seems less about staying informed and more about listening to political point scoring, the vilification of those who disagree and keeping ‘self’ firmly on a pedestal.
This month Norman Hamilton discusses the importance of remembering the ‘common good’ – relevant both for voters making good decisions at the ballot paper and for elected politicians in their work. He says, “I fear that it is all too common for the idolatry of politics to push biblical values to one side…”
The common good is also something we should be mindful of in regard to the more vulnerable members of our society. Karen Jardine outlines PCI’s work in the area of human rights. As well as modelling how we should disagree well, she states that our response should always be “…practical, affirming human dignity and our belief that all are created in the image of God.”
This is a key thought in Philip Yancey’s new book, Fearfully and Wonderfully. Co-written with Dr Paul Brand, it links medical and spiritual thoughts on anatomy and the body of Christ. In his interview with Alan Meban, Philip comments that our attitudes to fellow believers can be skewed because we assign worth in a hierarchical way, just as society does. However, he says, “Loyal, faithful Christians who stick it out in tough [situations] or are prayer warriors…Those kinds of people may be the most valuable members…”
1 Corinthians 12 tells us that we all have important roles in the body of Christ. This edition features a variety of people, who are ministering to those around them in distinctive ways: Rev William Harkness and Eileen Black working in Great Victoria Street Presbyterian and Friendship House in Belfast; Michael McBrien, a church elder and anaesthetist serving on board Mercy Ships to provide free surgery to people in Africa; and forces chaplains Rev Jonathan Newell (RAF) and Rev Norman McDowell (Army) working in difficult circumstances, often far away from loved ones.
Rev Norman McDowell highlights one of the challenges he and his colleagues face: “Often we are isolated from any kind of effective Christian fellowship, so please pray for the spiritual sustenance of chaplains and other Christians in the forces.”
They may be isolated, but they are treasured members of the body of Christ, who sacrifice much for their service. In this Remembrance season, please give particular thought to members of the forces and their families, and cover them in your prayers.
The Presbyterian Herald is the official magazine of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It provides a forum for debate and discussion on a wide range of topics and aims to challenge and encourage Presbyterians, as well as inform them about what the wider Church is involved in. It has a readership in excess of 25,000 and is distributed throughout Ireland.
To find out more go to www.presbyterianireland.org/herald