If we are the body

Paul's beautiful picture of the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 demonstrates this 'unity in diversity', and reminds us that every Christian needs every other to grow to full maturity. Each of us has an essential role to play and, if any one of us fails in playing our role the whole body suffers. The greatest threats to the proper functioning of Christ's body are the attitudes of pride[5] ('I don't need you') and self-pity[6] ('I do not belong'). We are all needed and we all need everyone else.

The diversity of the church Jesus prayed for had a purpose; each member was to help every other member come to maturity. 'From him the whole body... grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work'.[7] Christians are meant to be bearing one another's burdens[8] and laying down their lives for each other,[9] just as Christ himself did for us. Loving each other means always being committed to each other's good, and being willing to sacrifice ourselves for each other. When we approach disagreement with a concern for truth and unity, and for building each other up, we are already a long way to resolving our difficulties.

Holding unity and truth together requires great patience, endurance, love, grace, mercy, humility and courage, which is why most people (and most churches) prefer to sacrifice either truth or unity for the other. But each of us as Christians has a responsibility to be committed to every other Christian, not just those who think like us, or who belong to the same branch of the church. Being a truly committed member of Christ's body means that every other Christian is my brother or sister to whom I owe responsibility.