24/08/2026
One Body…
When I was a boy and a Scout I collected penknives. In those days you could buy them from the corner shop; tiny ones with colourful plastic side plates, ones in the shape of fish – each had its own purpose. My Grandad had a three bladed knife which he had carried for decades, each blade worn down by countless sharpening. He would use it to cut ties on his roses, to sharpen pencils or to clean his nails after gardening.
The ultimate knife to own, as a boy, was of course the Swiss army knife – not a cheap copy but the real thing. Half an inch thick, with a body full of ‘useful’ gadgets.
Although to be fair the bottle opener, scissors and main knife got a lot more use than the corkscrew, or the odd implement that may have had something to do with net making, or darning, or ropework…I’m not sure I ever knew what one of the tools was really designed for.
‘For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ‘
Romans 12:4
The thing about the Swiss army knife is that the knife itself is not very good – I soon learned that for whittling or general use in the woods, a more study lock knife with a carbon steel blade was necessary and for eating sausage I needed my Opinel. I didn’t buy the Swiss army knife for the knife but for the scissors and the tweezers and the screwdriver.
So it is in the body of Christ. Everyone has different skills and specialities, abilities and passions.
No one is perfect and can do all things, but all are essential.
We have to work together to build the kingdom of God.
Each of us are equally valued members of the body of Christ.
