Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27
“We delude ourselves if we think we can be a Christian in isolation. We need the Church in everything the Church can give us: her sacraments, the proclamation and exposition of the Word of God, mutual sharing of gifts and insights, mutual support both material and spiritual. None of us can stand up alone against the forces of atheism and materialism within society. What is more, a Christian is always as one “given”, committed to others, to a community.”
Ruth Burrows in Love Unknown: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent, Book 2012 (London: Continuum, 2012) 33.
To be Christian, is to be “given” to others the the community of the body of Christ. In American, many instead exhibit independence, which may be why so many succumb to materialism or atheism, that is to say, why they leave the church and conform to the world.
A community keeps us accountable. It positions us to aid others in crisis and them to aid us. Without it, generosity is impossible because part of our growth is linked to using our gifts in service to others in the Church.
Today I am praying for my mother, Patsy Hoag, as she has heart surgery on a leaking mitral valve. She’s modeled the “given” way of living for many years. Join me in lifting up a prayer for her healing today, so that her strength to serve God is renewed. Thanks.