The Body of Christ: A Global Reality

1 Corinthians 12:12–13
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

Christianity is more than 2,000 years old. Emerging from Judaism and the teachings of Jesus, it became its own faith and spread across the globe. The Body of Christ is now worldwide—stretching east to west, north to south. It originated among Middle Easterners and spread to Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Today, with over two billion Christians, the Body of Christ reflects the diversity of humanity itself. We look different, speak different languages, and live in different contexts, yet one Lord and one Spirit bind us together.

From its beginning, Christianity has been a global faith. The apostles preached the gospel across cultural lines, carrying the good news into the heart of the ancient world. The apostle Paul often returned to the image of “the Body of Christ” to illustrate how diversity is not a weakness but a strength. Just as a body needs its many parts—hands, feet, arms, and eyes—so the church needs its many members, working together as one.

Too often, we think of the Body of Christ only in terms of our local church, our denomination, or our small circle of faith. Yet Paul’s vision calls us to lift our eyes higher. The Body of Christ is not only local, it is global.

I have had the privilege of experiencing this firsthand. I have worshiped with Christians in Jamaica, Mexico, England, Israel, Germany, and Switzerland, each time reminded that Paul’s imagery is more than a metaphor—it is a living reality. The songs, prayers, and languages differ, but the Spirit is the same. These experiences remind us that the Body of Christ is vast, beautiful, and alive in every culture.

But we must also remember that many of our brothers and sisters face hardship. Christians in Ukraine worship under the constant threat of bombings. In other parts of the world, believers gather in secret, risking arrest or even their lives. The Body of Christ is both triumphant and suffering, both joyful and wounded.

This is why we must see Christ not just as the Savior of our church or our community but as the Savior of the world. We serve a cosmic Christ, a global Savior, because God so loved the world.

As we celebrate Global Community Sunday, may we remember, pray for, and rejoice with Christians around the world. We are many members, but one Body—diverse, beautiful, and united in Christ.

Steve Lewis

Pastor of Community Engagement and Discipleship