The whole world needs better teamwork including families, churches, governments, and international relations. It is a subtle part of the Christian gospel that has been hovering in the background for thousands of years waiting for it’s time to be acknowledged. It is related to the servant leadership teachings of Jesus Christ during his life. Teamwork requires people to work together in a very special way noted by the Apostle Paul when he compared the followers of Jesus to the parts of the human body (1 Cor. 12 ).
Each part of the human body is different and has a different function but must make its contribution when needed or other parts of the body will not be able to function properly. If the lungs aren’t doing what they need to do, the hands can’t do what they need to do. All of the members of a team depend upon each other. A baseball team cannot do what it has to do if the catcher isn’t there.
In spite of the Apostle Paul’s brilliant analysis of what is expected from the followers of Jesus, Christian leaders have not placed much emphasis on interdependency. Christianity has mostly emphasized each individual’s personal relationship with God. As a result, the members of church congregations tend to function as loosely connected volunteers. The interdependency of members is rarely mentioned in sermons so weekly attendance at church services is typically in the range of 20 to 30 % of total membership
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Perhaps it is time for Christian leaders to take another look at the Apostle Paul’s comparison of the followers of Jesus with the Body of Christ and study it from that perspective.
Robert C. Frank
Author of Christ’s Team
