Gracism: The Art of InclusionSample

The Art Of Inclusion

Many have come across 1 Corinthians 12 when studying the topic of spiritual gifts and unity. One time, when I was reading through the passage, I noticed something beyond these topics that I hadn’t seen before. The apostle Paul writes in verse 12, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ” (NIV). Then, before unpacking this analogy, Paul interjects race, culture, and class. In verse 13 he writes, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (NIV, emphasis added).

Wow! Right there he mentions race and culture (Jews or Greeks) and class (slave or free). He purposefully uses this statement to frame how we are to interpret the rest of the passage. The Spirit inspired Paul to go beyond simply addressing the diversity of spiritual gifts in the body to affirming the significance of racial, ethnic, and class interdependency as well!

From 1 Corinthians 12, I have identified eight principles or sayings that can guide us as we develop as gracists. These sayings lead us to actions that we can engage in to build bridges across the deepest divides of color, class, and culture. As you meditate on these verses, look for each of the eight sayings listed below.

1. I will lift you up. “Special honor” means lifting up the humble among us.
2. I will cover you. “Special modesty” means protecting the most vulnerable among us from embarrassment.
3. I will share with you. “No special treatment” means refusing to accept special treatment if it is at the detriment of others who need it.
4. I will honor you. “Greater honor” means God, as a gracist, has given greater honor to the humble.
5. I will stand with you. “No division” means when the majority helps the minority, and the stronger helps the weaker (gracism), it keeps us from division within the body (an opposite view than normal).
6. I will consider you. “Equal concern” means having a heart as big for our neighbors as we do for ourselves.
7. I will celebrate with you. “Rejoices with it” means when the humble, or less honorable, are helped, we are to rejoice with them.
8. I will heal with you. “Suffers with it” means empathizing with the pain of another and walking empathetically with the injured party.