Diversities

I like to think that I am fairly intelligent, well-educated, and talented, even though I recognize that there are other people in this world who are more intelligent, better educated, and/or more talented than I (actually many, many, many other people).

And yet, when I look at some of the people in high-profile positions of ministry and church leadership, I sometimes (foolishly) think of how I would do a much better job than they or of how I could like a long happy life as a Christian without those people in those positions or without many of those we must call brethren within the Body of Christ.

Today's first reading (from 1 Corinthians 12) helps bring me back down to earth.

For as the body is one,
and hath many members,
and all the members of that one body,
being many, are one body:
so also is Christ.

For by one Spirit
are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to drink
into one Spirit.

For the body is not one member,
but many.

If the foot shall say,
Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body;
is it therefore not of the body?

And if the ear shall say,
Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body;
is it therefore not of the body?

If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing?

If the whole were hearing,
where were the smelling?

But now hath God set the members
every one of them
in the body,
as it hath pleased him.

And if they were all one member,
where were the body?

But now are they many members,
yet but one body.

And the eye cannot say unto the hand,
I have no need of thee:
nor again the head to the feet,
I have no need of you.

Nay, much more those members of the body,
which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
And those members of the body,
which we think to be less honourable,
upon these we bestow more abundant honour;
and our uncomely parts
have more abundant comeliness.

For our comely parts have no need:
but God hath tempered the body together,
having given more abundant honour
to that part which lacked:
That there should be no schism in the body;
but that the members
should have the same care one for another.

And whether one member suffer,
all the members suffer with it;
or one member be honoured,
all the members rejoice with it.

Now ye are the body of Christ,
and members in particular.

And God hath set some in the church,
first apostles, secondarily prophets,
thirdly teachers, after that miracles,
then gifts of healings, helps,
governments, diversities of tongues.

Are all apostles? are all prophets?
are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing?
do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

But covet earnestly the best gifts:
and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

St. Paul then goes on in the next chapter to write about love and charity, but his words in this chapter about diversity within the Body of Christ bear serious reflection by each one of us.

The word "diversity" has been used quite a bit in recent years. Sometimes it has been hijacked by certain people as a weapon to exalt certain groups of people over others (ostensibly for remedial reasons) and sometimes it is even used as the rallying cry for a certain ideological homogeneity (ironically).

The diversities of which St. Paul writes, of course, mean neither of those things.

To begin with, the diversities of which St. Paul writes are first and foremost grounded in the fundamental unity of the members of the Body of Christ.

For as the body is one, and hath many members,
and all the members of that one body,
being many, are one body:
so also is Christ.

Secondly, despite any God-given diversities among us, on a very real and fundamental level we all share in the blessing and sufferings of each of us.

And whether one member suffer,
all the members suffer with it;
or one member be honoured,
all the members rejoice with it.

Thirdly, these difference of function are derived from the specific gift of God

And God hath set some in the church,
first apostles, secondarily prophets,
thirdly teachers, after that miracles,
then gifts of healings, helps,
governments, diversities of tongues.

Are all apostles? are all prophets?
are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing?
do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

Fourthly, these diversities are primarily functional, which is not to say that they are not identified with particular individuals, but that these differences are directed toward providing different functions within the Body of Christ for the good of the Body of Christ. St. Paul expands on this more clearly in a related passage (Ephesians 4:11-13):

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;
and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man,
unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ...

As much as we may think that we can do without these other members or functions of the Body of Christ, St. Paul reminds us that we cannot.

As much as we may think that we could do a much better job than some of the people in high-profile positions in the Church, St. Paul reminds us that ministry and functions within the Church are specific gifts of God.

I may think (very foolishly) that because of my natural intelligence or other abilities that I would do a much better job than a particular person who holds a particular position within the Church, but if that person has indeed been placed in that position by the specific choice and grace of God, then I can be sure that God has the ability to do far greater things through that person than I could by my own gifts alone.

As human beings, it is very easy to fall into disagreements and rivalries. In today's first reading, St. Paul calls us to a proper unity of diversities: faithful to the truth, faithful to God's love, and faithful to each other in the name and in the body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

That there should be no schism in the body;
but that the members
should have the same care one for another.