1 Corinthians 12:3-13
Some of the most fundamental messages that God imparts in Holy Scripture is that of we are all made in the image and likeness of God. Another is that we are temples of the Holy Spirit. Yet we all look so different, not only within races but across the globe and of course we speak so many languages. The only significant thing we can say is that we are all arranged the same way anatomically and that somehow we all are the image and likeness of God.
It amazes me that there are so many times that we just simply don't get it. We treat each other as if we are better than 'them'. 'They' are inferior. It's not even like we verbalize it, we act in such a way sometimes that says it. This goes for relatives, neighbors countries and races. It goes in direct contradiction to what this passage is trying to convey. In fact, I think when we speak ill of others or treat them as less than equal, we are demeaning their spirit and thus committing one of the worst sins we can commit. They say the only unforgivable sin is to blaspheme the Spirit. Do we do that when we demean the essence of another? If it is we may be in big trouble.
This passage speaks of diversity of gifts but it easily could be the diversity of all of God's creation. All different and all reflecting, projecting, an image of God for us to see and discover. There is such diversity of talents and gifts, why would there be less diversity in nature? Beside the variety of races that inhabit our beautiful blue/green orb, there is an almost infinite variety of animal species. There is also a wide variety of sexualities exhibited in nature for us to see and discover. Why would it be less prevalent in mankind?
Sexuality is a gift God gave us and the variety of sexual orientations speaks to how much he loves us but also to the natural variety in all of His created world.
With anything God created, it would not be right or normal for everything to be the same. Should everyone have blue eyes? Should everyone be right handed? Blond? Hairy? Asian? Should we commit to a cause to make everyone the same? Some people have tried but that 'episode' goes down in history as one of the most evil, torturous and insane dictators of our era.
No one should be out to make us all the same. We should respect each other. Those that demean the gay community as sinful and evil are perhaps guilty of the worst sin, that of blaspheminge the Spirit. Are we any less guilty though when we demean others? How about within our own community? Respect and appreciation for all God's gifts whatever it is talents, races, sexual orientations or our individual personalities is what we are reading about today and called to live our lives by.
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
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.
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