Ephesians 4:16
“From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
I prefer music on shuffle. There’s too much music to listen to and not enough time to listen to it. We forget the music we grew up with and the songs that remind us of good times and of bad times. I have songs that remind me of old boyfriends and songs that remind me of my closest friends, songs that take me back to high school and songs that remind me of summer vacations. I have songs that remind me of my high school retreats and songs that remind me of volunteering at my old church.
There are a handful of songs that remind me of my elementary days. I went to a Christian charter school, so the local Christian rock station was all the rage. I have a playlist full of songs they played frequently back in the early 2000s, and they’re still some of the most inspiring songs I’ve ever heard to this day. One of these extremely powerful songs came on shuffle as I was driving into Newport this very morning.
“If We Are the Body” by Casting Crowns was released in 2003. Its popularity grew and grew and grew for the time, but I feel its meaning is more relevant today than it ever has been. When interviewed seventeen years ago, songwriter Mark Hall said, “The world is well aware of what the church is against, but they aren’t always aware of what it’s for. Everybody in the body of Christ is given gifts to minister with; and when Christians aren’t using these gifts, the body suffers.”
I think it’s safe to say that as Christians, we sometimes forget that we’re an extension of Christ. Jesus may be the head of the Church, but we are his body—his arms and legs, hands and feet. We walk the Earth, a representation of Him, doing His work, sharing His teachings, acting out His philosophy. Every word that leaves our mouth and every action our bodies make is meant not only to glorify Him, but to show others what Christianity is truly about. If we are the body of Christ, why is there so much hatred in the world? Why do so many feel excluded and unwelcome in the Church? As His hands and feet—what are we doing wrong?
For those of you who haven’t heard “If We Are the Body,” today’s call to action is to simply listen and meditate on the meaning of the song. Check it out below and answer the following questions to yourself: What does this song mean to you? How does this song relate to our nation’s current state? Was there a particular lyric that stood out? And how can you put the meaning of this song into practice?