Everybody is somebody

For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page, which includes Powery's current Living by the Word column as well as past magazine and blog content. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.

The church is still uncomfortable with human bodies. It does little to promote the rich connection between bodies and Christian spirituality.

Paul uses "body" as a metaphor, and contemporary Christians do the same when we say "the body of Christ." This metaphorical usage generally takes precedence in the church’s practice. In Embodiment and the New Shape of Black Theological Thought, theologian Anthony Pinn demonstrates how many writers focus on metaphorical meaning when writing about bodies, rather than real material bodies.