A Body Divided

I Corinthians 12:25 -- "...so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another."

I'll never forget the moment I was allowed to assist on my very first autopsy. As I walked into the sterile room with the white tile floors and the gurney already prepped, I found myself more interested than I had ever been in anything predating that one, solitary moment. Lab coat donned and hands gloved up to my elbows, I watched Dr. Jun [pronounced Shoon] start by removing the head gear bolted to the "patient's" skull due to a major spinal injury during an automobile accident. It wasn't the accident that killed this man - it was cancer. 

Being able to weigh the brain and other organs, I was absolutely floored by the tiny details, the intricate wiring, the specific function of every single cell in the human body. There was no wasted space. Everything had a purpose and a place. Looking deeply into the lungs I could see where the cancer clung like lichens on a tree. Growing - spreading like a wild fire in July, it was easy to recognize this particular war-zone. It's mind boggling -- when the body works properly. It's mind numbing when it doesn't.


I'll never forget the moment I learned my fifteen year old has Hoshimoto's Disease. [a thyroid disorder] In an instant my mind was back in the room with Dr. Jun, inspecting the very delicate way in which our bodies are put together. I imagined the almost artistically placed blood vessels, muscle fibers, and foundation of well laid bone. Unlike the crystal-clear and readily identifiable "bad guy" that cancer is to the human form - the enemy in my son's body is a little more difficult to track down. His body is at war with itself. 

In Hoshimoto's hypothyroidism or Hoshimoto's thyroiditis - the production of hormone by the thyroid gland triggers the body's immune system to react - to fight for survival and attack the thyroid. So -- the thyroid, in turn, stops producing hormone. This causes a slew of issues for the body. In Tyler's case, the most noticeable one is Eczema, followed closely by an insatiable appetite - however, it's what's going on INSIDE his body that causes the most damage. The things we can't see cause extremely high fevers, weakened immune function, hair loss, weight gain, chronic fatigue ..... well, the list goes on. 

The solution? Very simple and very inexpensive. Synthroid. Every morning the first thing Tyler does when he wakes up is take his Synthroid medication. This synthetic hormone replaces the lost stuff in his thyroid. The problem? Tyler's white blood cells increase in number and begin, once again, to attack his thyroid. This will be a thing that he has to deal with for the rest of his life - and eventually - his thyroid will have to be removed. His body is divided against itself.

I Corinthians 12 verse 27 tells us: "Now you are Christ's body, and individually, members of it." Verse 25 of this chapter encourages us, as body members, to work together. Each member, each blood cell, each muscle fiber and hair follicle has it's own place. There is no wasted space. Each unique and intentional member of the body of Christ has it's own function. 

A body divided against itself looses strength. Instead of serving the Kingdom of God, we end up having to back-track, to heal, to regain what was lost and in so doing, miss opportunities to tell others about Jesus. One day this amazing body will lie down and breath it's last on this earth. Jesus WILL come back and take us all home. When that happens - time is up. There are no second chances, so to speak. 

What are we doing? Are we to follow in the steps of Hoshimoto's hypothyroidism - stirring up contempt, mistrust, and perhaps even war with our own body members?  In the grand scheme of things this seems like a huge waste of time. Our petty [and let's face it - most of the time they ARE petty] differences weaken the body. At the end of it all when the big picture is framed nicely and hanging elegantly on the wall - the little squabbles that we make mountains of will not matter. 

Will they?