rising to the occasion

In the past year I've become more aware of the reality of the body of Christ, the community of poor, lowly people of God, a "remnant" within the institution we call the church, who live by the leading of the one Spirit more than the human organizational structures that attempt to manage "the church." That awareness came as a reassurance, that no matter what the church organization looks like or the majority decides, the body still exists and lives like Jesus lived. And we are just called to do this as well. Recognize and cooperate with what Christ is doing in his body on earth, and not worry too much about trying to sway the politics of the religious organization to make it what it ought to be. Its scandal only proves that all human institutions are reflections of their sinful human creators. The body of Christ is God's creation, defined by Jesus alone, full of the same life he lived on earth, and that's something we can't change. We can only enter in, or not.

But lately the reality of this has been an encouragement to action. Not that I have to act, to fix the church (or our little community here), but that I can act and expect something good. The body of Christ exists. It's mixed in there, and in moments of grace it might shine through in inspiring ways.

Like in times of crisis, when the human structures are trembling and falling (like here right now) and people don't know what to do. That's when I think God's lowly people rise to the occasion, holding firm and helping when others are breaking down. When people need mercy and inspiration, and Jesus offers it, through his body on earth.

Eventually, I imagine, things stabilize and order and security and power structures are reestablished and they command the majority and overshadow God's lowly people again. And they let themselves be overshadowed, though they are not any less important or real, just forgotten again amidst the rising din of prosperity and power. But they've been seen, they've shined again.

And they're still there.