While proofreading my previous episode, I realized the theological point I was making was also a commentary on the political divisiveness we find in our country today. Here are my thoughts regarding ways that the teachings of St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians delivered a poignant message that is applicable to our secular society today. You don’t have to be a Christian to appreciate the wisdom of his message.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to Episode 99 of Contemplating Life.

In my previous episode, I talked about a taped lecture by Reverend Terry Fullam, which was an essential part of my return to the Catholic Church in my late 20s after having left in my late teens. After writing and recording that episode, I realized that the theological topics I discussed were relevant to our democracy and the current political turmoil and divisiveness we are experiencing.

In that episode, I discussed the Christian theological concept of the Mystical Body of Christ. It stems from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 12, where Paul uses the analogy of the body to describe the church. There was a dispute in the Christian community of Corinth over different kinds of spiritual gifts. Some were arguing that certain gifts were more important than others.

If you are not a believer, when I say “spiritual gifts,“ perhaps just substitute the phrase “natural talents and abilities.” For Paul, describing spiritual gifts is his way of describing the innate value of a human being.

Paul was making the case that the Christian community was like a body. All parts of the body must work together towards the same goal. You can’t claim that a part of the body doesn’t belong just because it’s different from yours. In chapter 12, beginning with verse 12, he says…

“As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

“Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?”

“But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I do not need you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I do not need you.’

“Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.”

Paul reminds the community of Corinth that they are all dedicated to the same basic principles: living out the gospel message as a Christian community and putting into practice the teachings of Jesus Christ.

I think that analogy is useful in our current society, which, like ancient Corinth, is debating the relative value of members of the community.

We are devaluing the contribution of immigrants despite the fact that our economy is dependent upon immigrant labor to harvest our food, work in the hospitality industry, and provide other essential services that we take for granted. The religious right seems to ignore the Christian values of welcoming strangers and foreigners and caring for the poor and needy. It is ignoring the spiritual gifts that these fellow human beings possess.

In the previous episode, I shared the story told by Reverend Fullam, a woman who was paralyzed. She said that her body was a parable or metaphor of what was wrong with the church. She lives in a body that is unresponsive to her will. She can imagine her body walking, running, hiking, and swimming, but her body doesn’t respond. Fullam extends that metaphor to someone with a spactic body, such as friends of mine who have cerebral palsy. There is no lack of movement in their body but the body is not under the control of their mind. The body moves independently without coordination. He says that many in the church think they are doing God’s will, but they are just flying around doing things without really listening to what their faith is calling them to do. I extend the metaphor to my own body, which does not respond to my will because my muscles are too weak to be effective. This represents those of weak faith who failed to put their faith into practice.

This morning, as I was listening to the episode, proofreading it for any edits or revisions, I realized that this analogy has much to say about our society today. We live in a democracy. We are the head of that body as well as the individual parts. Public opinion polls reveal that the majority of our population is dissatisfied with the policies and practices of our government.

Our nation is a body that is unresponsive to our will.

Some parts of our body are completely inactive, like the parts of a paralyzed body. They lack the incentive to participate in our democracy and our content to lie there motionless and helpless.

Some parts of our body believe themselves to be powerless. They have weak faith in our democratic institutions in the same way my muscles are weak and unresponsive to my will.

A huge majority of our body is running around pretending that they are doing something useful, yet they are woefully out of touch with the will of the people. We will refrain from accusations of why this is so. This essay is not about questioning the people’s motives.

Until we recognize that we are the head of our body this country, and until we recognize that each of us is an indispensable part of that body with a critical role to play in our society, and until we recognize that our neighbor, regardless of their religion, race, country of origin, or sexual orientation is also a member of that body and is essential to its proper functioning, we will lack the power to work effectively. We will continue to exist in a body that is unresponsive to our will.

Paul said, “You then are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it”

I say to you, you then are the body of America, and each of you is a part of it.

As yet, there is no cure for what’s wrong with my body. But there is a cure for our handicapped body of America. We have to participate. We have to do our part. And we have to love and respect our fellow human beings who are part of that same body.

That’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Tell me what you think.

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I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.