Edgar supposed that it actually began before those words were read when he happen to glance over his shoulder during the last hymn and his eyes fell on a young family that was seated several rows back and to the side. They would not recognize him but he knew that they were the occupants of some rental property that he owned for which he was about to negotiate a sale and they would soon be receiving their eviction notice.
Even as he recognized them, he had not felt particularly guilty. It was just part of doing business and Edgar had always prided himself in being good at doing business. But what was the business of the church in working to reconcile those who were separated by the business of the world? Was he to sacrifice a handsome profit in order to reconcile himself to a poor family who just happened to belong to the same church?
“This is my body which is broken for you. Whenever you eat this bread, eat it in remembrance of me,” intoned the minister. Was it just a past event or a present reality, Edgar wondered? He had learned early on to compartmentalize his business dealings from the practice of his faith but now he was wondering if he was paying a heavier price for that separation than he had realized.
Maybe the distance that he often felt from people around him could be overcome. Maybe Christ could break down the dividing wall. He did not even know where these thoughts were coming from but as he took the bread served him, he realized for the first time that he was receiving Christ at a price and that he was being asked to pay a price as well. After the service he deliberately went over and introduced himself to the family. He told them that they were living on a piece of property that he owned and that if there was any problem he wanted them to speak to him personally. “After all,” he said, “in the church, we are family.”
So in a way, Edgar recognized his purpose as a servant of his community.
Steve, This is a very inspiring story. It makes us think about how we live our lives and that we should support those in need.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the impact of technology on community – both positively and negatively – and speculating about the implications for the way “church” is experienced.
The centrality of sacraments as shared tangible, physical, in-the-body experiences would seem to take on even more significance.
While Edgar’s story is an attempt to experience the “broken body of Christ” in a way that addresses the ease with which we compartmentalize, I am also beginning to think that it is also a reflection of Christ’s love for us. We live in a society and a world in which the Body of Christ is splintered into all sorts of divisions. Since Jesus clearly prayed that we be one in John 17, can we understand Jesus patience at our brokeness as one more experience of Jesus being willing to be crucified for our sake?