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1 Corinthians 3:1-23, On Divisions in the Church

Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
— 1 Corinthians 3:16

NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, May 8, 2024

by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff


God lives in us. God is embodied because God takes up residence in our bodies. When I look into the eyes of another person, I am looking into the eyes of God. Not that a human being is God, but a human being is God’s dwelling place. Which means we ought to be deeply loving of our bodies and of the bodies of our fellow human beings. Partly its about our own physical fitness—being mindful about what we eat, our exercise routines, our personal care process. So many of us are estranged from our bodies, as I was in my years of active food addiction, as others are in other kinds of addictions. I’m not buying into the American obsession with thinness, which is entirely unhealthy. I’m merely advocating that we be in touch with our own physicality, knowing that God loves us and wants us to be whole and healthy as much as we can. Partly it’s about our care for the physical wellbeing of others—our commitment to ensuring that all people receive adequate nutrition, access to clean water and air, opportunities to move. God lives in all people and animals and plants and nature as a whole, and as such, when we care for these things, we are nurturing our spiritual connection to God.

How do I care for my body, which is God’s temple? How do I care for others’ bodies?