I Ain't Got No Body
I picked today’s title for several reasons. The original song dates back to 1915, and the phrase shows up famously in several songs and movies. My favorite, which actually fits today’s post really well, is from the movie, Young Frankenstein when Igor positions his head among some skulls and sings, “I ain’t got no body,” changing the meaning of the original song lyric entirely.
I bring that phrase into context by asking the question, “Do you think Jesus feels that way sometimes?” He is the head of the church and we, his followers, are his body. But what happens when someone chooses not to be a part of his body? Or what if his body lacks unity? I wonder if our human perspective, denominationally or otherwise, prides itself more in our differences than embracing our diversity?
Don’t get me wrong. Truth matters. There aren’t nearly as many “gray” areas as most people would like for there to be. I’m not talking about watering down scripture or compromising truth. What I’m talking about is the absence of love and grace flowing down from Jesus our head, throughout the entire body.
I bring that phrase into context by asking the question, “Do you think Jesus feels that way sometimes?” He is the head of the church and we, his followers, are his body. But what happens when someone chooses not to be a part of his body? Or what if his body lacks unity? I wonder if our human perspective, denominationally or otherwise, prides itself more in our differences than embracing our diversity?
Don’t get me wrong. Truth matters. There aren’t nearly as many “gray” areas as most people would like for there to be. I’m not talking about watering down scripture or compromising truth. What I’m talking about is the absence of love and grace flowing down from Jesus our head, throughout the entire body.
__________________________
February 13, 2020 - Love is THE rule. It leads the way in everything. When we love well, we lead well. When we love well, we value relationships over which one of us is right, people over programming. Jesus gave us the greatest example of love, not compromising truth and yet seeing the person under all the layers of sin and confusion. I understand how we got here 2000 years later, just not why.
__________________________
In 1 Corinthians 12 (I suggest reading the whole chapter and the beginning of 13 while you’re at it), Paul goes a long way to make the point that followers of Jesus are each gifted to play a vital role as they work together for the good of the entire body. I wonder if we now have some churches full of hands and others full of ears. I hope and pray that you will seek unity in the midst of disagreement. I’m not talking about making exceptions for or openly accepting sin. I’m talking about the body being edified through unity like never before.
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Williams, Spencer. I Ain’t Got Nobody. Lyrics by Roger Graham, Roger Graham Music Publishing, 1915. Sheet music.
Young Frankenstein. Directed by Mel Brooks, performances by Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1974.
Young Frankenstein. Directed by Mel Brooks, performances by Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1974.
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