“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with
Christ. For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or
free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”
/1 Corinthians 12:12/
For the past couple of weeks, I've been on a mission trip through central Europe in the countries of Hungary and Ukraine. The point of the vision trip was to help and witness our fellow Hungarian brothers and sisters that were simply separated by an imaginary line on the land. The trip reminded me of the preceding bible verse and confirmations of the word through the spirit happened at every stop and person that we met.The simple truth of the matter was that although divided by many lines and miles, we are all parts of the same body of Christ.
God inspires the body to move. Whatever trials or tribulations were in our way at the beginning of the trip to even go to Hungary, God provided a way and the zeal to get us there. Often times the reasoning for going on a mission trip is not measured by the magnitude of one's faith initially, but a commitment to wanting to do more in His name. He often inspires us to move and do things that our character and daily routine often don't easily allow. To drop everything, and for a moment trust entirely in him rather than the path of our own inadequate design.He worked in moving the Hungarian people we came to assist as well, to trust in some lowly travelers and meet us at every destination with smiles and open hearts. Jo napot kivanok, a greeting that every single member of the Hungarian congregation gave us with a smile on their face as if they had known us for quite some time.
Everyone that we met, that we helped with our medical missions, hair, and other services made us feel at home in a land that was very unfamiliar to us. Even with the great disparity between what our hearts wanted to do for the people and what we realistically could, we were met with love and excitement everywhere we went from people of all ages. Although we came with the premise of giving, we also received countless intangible gifts that gave us peace and inspiration for the future. It made me realize that the body of Christ is simply more than a group of separate functions. That it was orchestrated from the head that is Christ and the heartbeat of the holy spirit that moves us together.
Inside the orphanage, inside the churches, and every member of the congregation, the resilient heart and generous nature of the Hungarian people was present.When given obstacles and pain in separation, it is easy for a group of people to turn colder or blame external causes. What we witnessed was a group of people that stood and held steadfast to caring and loving one another to get through it all in His name, even when it came to openly welcoming strangers. From our translators, to the people we would just casually see bicycling down the streets, I never for one moment felt alienated or alone. This was not only God working in all of our hearts for worship, but also kinship.
To know that we are the body that moves with intention, the body that leads with our hearts, the body that follows His plans, and above all the body that loves left a profound solace inside of me. Solace that made me want to share it with others, that this is what the body was capable of, that this is what the church was capable of, and that this was the church. No matter where we came from or how many miles separated us, that the church was one that every member supported and every member rooted for. Through the guidance of one simple principle that we all drink from the same Spirit, and saved by the same Messiah.
Written by Steve Chung of Korean Presbyterian Church of Minnesota
Photos by Kim DaSom