Where’s the Bengay?
written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve struggled with back pain throughout my adult life. When a disc slides out of alignment, the muscles cease up, and it causes muscles to tighten up into the neck, causing severe pain. The muscles tighten, and even the top of my head gets migraines. At the same time, all that is happening above and below the waist isn’t better. As the muscles tighten, trying to adjust to the misalignment of the disc, the sciatic nerves feel pinched and swollen. Muscle tightness causes sharp pain running down the outside of both legs. It hurts all the way to the tips of my toes. That darn disc slips even slightly, and the pain runs from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. I can be healthy in every other way, and one millimeter of disc slippage and my entire body binds up and becomes helpless.
The Apostle Paul must have suffered from back pain. He knew how one weak point in the spine can weaken the whole body. Bodily weakness is a clear example of how “we are only as strong as our weakest link.” What is true of our human body is also true of “the body of Christ,” the Church. One weak point in the church body can bring the congregation to its knees.
Every congregation has individuals whose weakness can hurt the church family. Those who struggle with mental illness can create havoc without proper care and support. Too often, a church’s desire for “peace” at any cost allows dysfunctional individuals to run amuck at the expense of others. But we must remember, our role as a church is not just to seek peace, but to provide support and accountability. This is necessary to keep the entire body “honored” and “rejoicing.” Most importantly, it assists the “suffering member,” so that the entire body can remain strong.
Avoiding the “suffering member” hurts not only the congregation as a whole, but also the suffering member in question. It may be uncomfortable, but accountability helps everyone concerned. Today, let us come together in prayer for our congregation and for the Christian Church as a whole. Let us pray for those who have the propensity to create suffering. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to bring healing and for the wisdom to know how to best bring that healing about. And let us thank God for the Spirit that brings justice and healing each new day. Remember, rubbing Bengay on sore muscles simply masks the pain. But the Spirit heals the pain and restores the body, bringing newness of life. Praise God!