I’ll Be The Spleen
I’ll be the Spleen
I recently asked a group of friends to read a passage from 1 Corinthians 12 about the parts of the body and pick which one they would like to be. The responses yielded several eyes, a couple ears, a brain, a heart, a mouth, hands and also feet. A couple choices were out of the ordinary, but all had solid reasons.
I did the exercise myself and decided I would be the spleen. Now, I used to give this comment whenever I heard a discussion about 1 Corinthians 12 just to try and be funny. But at the risk of sounding eccentric, I really believe it fits. Let me try to show why.
Until recently, the purpose of the spleen was not known. (I know I have a purpose in life, but it is not always clear to me.) The spleen is not very big or very pretty. (I am just an ordinary guy, with ordinary struggles.) The spleen is prone to bleed when struck hard. (It really hurts when people are critical.) The spleen can be removed without any adverse long-term effects. (I am not irreplaceable. My sudden absence would not bring God’s plans for the world to a halt.)
The key point of Paul’s writing in this passage is that none of the parts of the body can bring the fullness of life on its own. Teamwork and God’s intentional diversity are critical components of proper working order. So it takes someone like me and someone like you and someone like that person over there. Together, and only together, can we move forward and be the body.
Brian Keel is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the YMCA of Greater Toledo. He can be reached bkeel@ymcatoledo.org and on his profile page here.
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