Member Care and the Body of Christ

Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis datur.

Luke 22:19

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A few months ago I had an eight hour layover at the Madrid Barajas Airport. Rather than simply waiting for my next flight, I jumped on the metro and headed for El Prado, one of the finest museums for European art from the 12th--19th centuries. As I strolled through the ornate, expansive halls, I was particualrly struck by the many images of Jesus Christ among the over 1,300 paintings on display.

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The painting below is one of my favourites and depicts the Last Supper. It was painted around 1560 by the Spainard Juan de Juanes. As I look at it again now, I am thinking about the Body of Christ, the central theme of this painting. It is beautiful!

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Yet I am wondering...wondering why those who say they are disciples of Jesus continue to break His body through their lies, stealing, and gross mistreatment of others. These are sad stories. His dear Body--of which the mission and the member care community are members--continues to be broken. What a mixture of the mostly laudable and the sometimes loathful!

--”What are those wounds between your arms?”
--“Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”
Zechariah 13:6

Reflection and Discussion

The Body of Christ is amazingly beautiful. People through the ages, like the apostles depicted in the above painting, are in awe of it. One of the apostles however appears to be indifferent at best, and would soon further betray the Body. Think of some ways to apply this comment--and this painting--to the mission and member care communities.