We Are Christ’s Body

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25 (CEB)

Illustration: "Reach Out And Touch Somebody’s Hand" by Diana Ross

Meditation: It is a lie that a person can have a private spirituality. In the Christian tradition it is not uncommon for someone to speak of their faith as their “personal relationship with Jesus.” This private and personal understanding of spirituality is owed more to American individualism than biblical, African, or other indigenous spiritualities. Spirituality is impacted by and impacts the relational dynamics of our everyday lives. All of life is interconnected. The African principle of Ubuntu puts it this way: “I am because we are.” The Christian way of describing interconnectedness is “the body of Christ.” The writer of Hebrews unpacks the significance of Christ’s body for our relationship with God. That because of Christ’s death we have access to the divine life. This is not unlike many indigenous cultures’ understanding of the role of deceased ancestors who, after living exemplary lives, give the living access to gifts that strengthen their remaining journey on the planet. Because of Christ’s bodily death those of us who take up his message and ministry are now his body on the planet. If we believe this, we must be steadfast in our oneness which entails being disciplined in gathering regularly. One of the greatest temptations is to attempt to follow Jesus’ teachings and ministry alone. There is no relationship with Jesus outside of his body. We are only collectively the body of Christ. When disciples of Jesus meet regularly, we re-affirm and re-member our interconnectedness as Christ’s body engaged in the ministry of love and justice with each other and the world.

Reflection:

1. How do you experience your spirituality in the context of community?

2. When you are in solitude, how do relationships still impact your spirituality?

3. What community practices most invigorate your spirituality?

About the Author:

Rev. Brandon Wrencher (he/him) is a senior strategist and organizer, trainer, and consultant at the intersections of decolonizing church, contemplative activism, and community-building. Brandon is the author of: Liberating Church: A 21st Century Hush Harbor Manifesto (Wipf & Stock and The Voices Publishing, 2022), Buried Seeds: Learning from the Vibrant Resilience of Marginalized Christian Communities (Baker Academic, 2022), and “Our Cries for Equity” in The Other Journal: Authority (Cascade Books, 2021).

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These Black Lent devotionals were originally curated by IG: goodneighbormovement.