"Every act of self-discipline by a Christian is also a service to the community. Conversely, there is no sin in thought, word, or deed, no matter how personal or secret, that does not harm the whole community. When the cause of an illness gets into one’s body, whether or not anyone knows where it comes from, or in what member it has lodged, the body is made ill. This is the appropriate metaphor for the Christian community. Every member serves the whole body, contributing either to its health or to its ruin, for we are members of one body not only when we want to be, but in our whole existence. This is not a theory, but a spiritual reality that is often experienced in the Christian community with shocking clarity, sometimes destructively and sometimes beneficially."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It was interesting looking at Life Together in bible study this term, and also cool that Tim Chester is providing more quotes from the book.
I don't think I realise how much my sin hurts the body of Christ, nor do I realise how much my righteousness helps it. While Jesus will always be the goal to be aimed for, I think understanding how I lives affect His body is a sober reminder to press on more zealously towards that goal :)
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