Division of the Church Body

1 Corinthians 12:26

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.

Have you ever injured yourself?  I tore my ACL downhill skiing.  I wish I could say I was traversing down the moguls of a black diamond mountain in Colorado.  But no, my injury took place on a bunny hill in Minnesota.  This injury not only affected my knee, but also the alignment of my back as I favored the injured joint.  Consequently, my crooked back caused neck pain and headaches.  A domino effect of suffering caused by one ailing part. 

Paul writes that if one part of the Body of Christ suffers, we all suffer.  The early church suffered to get along and unfortunately it still suffers today.   And as I mature in my faith, I become more aware of the differences in the beliefs of the Christian faith, even among my closest friends.  So much so, I try to avoid talking about my beliefs at all to avoid conflict all together. 

My hope is that we can continue to love each other through our differences.  And that His love would overflow and wash over that divide.  As it says in 1 Peter 4:8:  His love covers over a multitude of sins.

Let us pray:  Gracious God, let us remember to love others, even if we disagree with them so the whole of the church does not suffer.   Amen.