In tomorrow’s lectionary, Paul writing to the Christian community in Corinth, elaborates on his image of ‘the body of Christ’ for the Christian community. Every part of the body/community has a different and important role to play – there’s no need for jealousy or talent envy. OK, so I know it’s not always easy to put into practice.
When we see fungi, we normally see only the spore-carrying bodies, the outer growths that launch the spores which will produce new generations of the fungus. But most of a fungus is unseen – it’s the mycelium, the network of essential threads which grows inside the rotting tree or under the leaf litter or in the ground. The visible fruiting bodies may be dramatic, pretty, ugly, whatever. But they are not the whole story – that unseen, unappreciated network is every bit as important. You are the fungus of Christ.