Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)
Christ Has No Body
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pretty moving, huh?
I have been thinking a lot lately, via His prompting, about loving people. Not "loving people" descriptive, but me loving, people. All people. And what does that mean?
Loving those I fear.
Loving when it hurts.
Loving those I already love, but in a deeper way.
Loving others in a sincere way. With honesty.
Loving the way people NEED to be loved not just the way I am comfortable loving them.
Loving when I am judged, loving when I am labeled, loving when I am tired, and loving when it is not returned.
It sound so self-sacrificing, all that loving, and at times it really is, but really the reward is beyond amazing. I do it because being His hands, his feet, his eyes, leaves me so full and peaceful. The joy of being Christ to others is it's own reward.
Last week I took the teens caroling to the "home bound" members of our church. We were able to be Christ's voice. And I am still full. Full of the joy of seeing a man lying in bed, unable to sit up or even fully open his eyes, yet smiling and singing every word of the carols through his dry cracked pale lips. That moment was a gift. A perfect reminder that when we are asked to be Christ's body, he is really asking us to take part in something more beautiful that we can imagine.
Loving others. Some days it's easy! Some days it's not. But it is always rewarded when done in humility and service to God.
I want His eyes of compassion.
I want to be his body on this earth.
Because it is amazing to take part in it. People can be so amazing to love.
Love, humility, compassion, that is what He is nudging me to do lately.
Some people are REALLY fun to love, others are a struggle. I am not gonna lie, some are VERY hard for me to love. I have to look past the things they do, the things they say, and love unconditionally.
I am trying. I am changing. He is changing me.
I love it when He does that. *smile*
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