Flannery O’Connor and the Body of Christ

Sunday we reflected some on Paul’s shift to a communal vision from his more individual piety focus during his time as a Pharisee.  Along the way we talked some about the image of being the Body of Christ.  Such work, being a corporate witness of grace and love and not simply getting our individual lives in order, is hard work.  And whenever I think of that I am reminded of these great words from Southern Gothic fiction writer, and staunch Catholic, Flannery O’Connor:

“I think that the Church is the only thing that is going to make the terrible world we are coming to endurable; the only thing that makes the Church endurable is that it is somehow the body of Christ and that on this we are fed. It seems to be a fact that you have to suffer as much from the Church as for it but if you believe in the divinity of Christ, you have to cherish the world at the same time that you struggle to endure it. ” 

― Flannery O’Connor, The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O’Connor

Well said, may we live it well also.