10 September 2022

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
From 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 (NRSV)

Paul is writing to a community who are divided by the fact that some continue to take part in the worship of idols. He reminds them that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper should be a visible sign of unity and that they cannot participate both at the table of Lord and at the “table of demons”. If Paul were able to observe the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in our times, he might have different reasons to be concerned about a lack of unity. There are many things that can disunite a community: maybe some feel inferior to others, some may not be able to celebrate with members of their own families due to differing beliefs, maybe the people do not know each other and do not feel connected. Rather than feeling discouraged by what disunites us, we can take encouragement from Paul’s words and continue to work for unity, believing that each of our small acts can make a big difference.

• • What does the word “unity” mean to you?
  • Is there some small act you can undertake to build unity in your community? 

Consider the unity that you experience by being part of the body of Christ – give thanks for the ways in which your life has been enriched through this.