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Hidden Body
Because we all have a human body, God wisely designed the hidden body of Christ so that every human being could completely understand. She, though hidden, is the ideal vehicle of faith. Being hidden, she is truly mysterious and mystical! Mystical Bodies are as varied as human bodies.
Different Hidden Body
When we glance in the mirror, we are amazed at what the Creator God planned for the human body. Our frames vary in complexion, size, weight, and personal characteristics. Some may be fat, others are thin. A few are very tall, others are short. Our skin may be black, brown, pink or yellow. Some are old, others middle aged or young. Like human bodies, each hidden Mystical Body is unique and bears different characteristics and behavior patterns.
Changing Body
As much as we would like to, we cannot say, "Aha, here is the Body of Christ!" Like every other human organism, the Mystical Body is continually changing in form and appearance. She develops as she grows in appearance and character. Tell-tale signs take place due to this process. In the human, wrinkles appear in the skin and the hair grays. In the Mystical Body, changes are constantly happening too. As no two photographs of a person are ever completely identical, so Christ's hidden Body is never the same. She is always developing, regrouping and blossoming. As a part of the body dies, she is also reborn.
Complex Hidden Body
Many of us do not stop and think about the amazing body we live within. Saint Augustine wrote, "Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering." Isaac Newton adds poignantly, "In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God's existence."
Sacramental Body
The hidden Body of Christ is also sacramental. To be sacramental is to have an outward and visible form and an inner invisible power hidden within. The Body of Christ is usually hidden. Beneath the white bread and the red wine at the Eucharistic table lies hidden meaning to be explored, the body and the blood of Christ! Under the corporate structures of the Church is hidden the deeper reality of the Body of Christ. We frequently fail to see the real hidden Christianity because of the trappings that surround it.
Body Hidden Within
Many of us do not recognize the Mystical Body of Christ that lies within. The Mystical Body is the institutional church's hidden source of power. A small boy was waiting with his mother by the roadside for the Queen to pass by on a royal visit. Finally, the great moment came and the motorcade drove by with the monarch smiling and waving. In anticipation, his mother asked, "Did you see the Queen?" The child replied, "Wow, what a lovely car!" He had failed to see the important person hidden within because of the beautiful car that held her!
Hidden and Complex
The outer visible shell often deceives us as to the complex nature of the Mystical Body hidden inside. We struggle to understand how God plants the Mystical Body like a spark hidden within an individual when Jesus becomes that person's Lord and Savior. We know it is true by the transformation of that person's attitude and life but we fail to appreciate the amazing and complex work of God's Holy Spirit within. The agent, the God-essence that does the transforming, is hidden beneath the skin, deep within the persona, quietly enlightening the heart and the mind.
Hidden Sacrament
At Holy Communion, the sacramental bread and wine disguises Christ's hidden Body in a way we cannot even begin to comprehend. Across the globe, invisible ties bind together Christians of all nations, colors, and languages in the Body of Christ Worldwide. In Heaven, beyond the furthermost bounds of the created universe, the triumphal no-longer-seen and hidden Universal Body worships in unnumbered waves around the glistening throne of God.
Questions for Discussion
1. How is the Body of Christ hidden?
The sacramental bread and wine disguises Christ's hidden Body
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