“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
-1 Corinthians 12 (NRSV)
Over the last few days, three little words have struck my heart deeply. No, the words are not I love you – even though I do! Rather the words are “it is hard”!
Words which have been screamed across Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Words that stretch across phone lines and living rooms. These three little words are a cry of pain, anguish, and our universal suffering.
Words that I ask you to think about now; let them drip into your heart; ponder their meaning to you; and, answer this question: what is your “it.” What part of this plague is hard for you?
Beloved sisters and brothers, please know that I am sorry for your pain, your struggle, your suffering. Know that I recognize your struggle may be due to money, health, loneliness, togetherness, missed celebrations or a billion other ways that “it is hard.” Know that even though your “it” may be different from mine, your “it” is just as important.
Furthermore, I understand the “it” which you just pondered is the pain you are feeling, the anguish which you are experiencing, the suffering which you are dealing with throughout this covid-19 outbreak; and, we are all dealing with an “it,” right now. In fact, this may be the first time in human history that all people across the world are experiencing the same catalyst for suffering.
Still, we each have different gifts which allow us to handle some things and not others. I may be able to handle the isolation and the economic struggles; but, the lack of a spiritual community is difficult, the fear I have for the safety of others is crippling, the missing hugs makes my heart break. Is my “it” less than another person’s – more important than someone else’s? No, it is not. My “it” is the suffering which I am dealing with during this plague.
Through this understanding, I call out to all of you to hear the suffering of others, especially if it does not make sense to you. If their “it” seems trivial or unimportant. I call out to you and beg on my knees that you will share your strength with another person, pray for them as I do for you.
For, God created us as one human race - one body – which will suffer when any part of the body suffers, the Apostle Paul reminded us of this truth as do I. The problem is not that we have different gifts, privileges, or strengths; the problem is that we are not sharing them with each other and allowing others to share theirs with us. Maybe the time has come for us to change our reaction to another’s suffering and become the body of Christ in action by sharing our gifts with one another.
-Gracious God, please allow me to share my “it” with others while I compassionately hear theirs. Through this act of sharing grant us the gift to withstand the “it” and suffering of this world as we become the true body of Christ.
