On wounds borne for us

Father Orthoduck has seen the feet of more than one ballet dancer. And, what is said in this comic is accurate. The long-term ballet dancer does develop hammer-toes, calluses, etc. They also regularly fight blisters, stress fractures, damaged tendons and so on. Most people are aware of the many hours that a ballet dancer spends in practice, but few are aware of the permanent changes they bring on their feet, changes that mean that most people will not want to look upon those feet. And they do it all both for our entertainment.

Most of us would not be willing to sacrifice physically the way that ballet dancers sacrifice. The picture of the “sissy” male who studies ballet is as far away from the truth as one can get. The male ballet dancer has muscular power that would be the envy of many weightlifters without having the bulk and the loss of flexibility. The female ballet dancer has a flexibility that equals that of many yoga masters and a muscular strength that matches any athlete.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 — Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Hebrews 12:1-2 — Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

There are many who “take damage” for the faith, for the sake of those who are watching. Missionaries, monks, priests are in the forefront of those who may have “feet shod in the Gospel of Peace” but whose “shod feet” have been damaged for the sake of that very Gospel. We often do not see the damage that those committed to “performing onstage” in the Church take. Add to that the damage taken by those whom St. Paul calls the less visible members of the Body of Christ, those to whom we often give less honor, and we often do not realize the price that is paid for the Gospel to spread to all the world. The Church runs on sacrifice. The sacrifice of Our Lord upon the Cross is echoed to this day in the sacrifice of those who follow Him. It is all too true that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church, even if nowadays in the USA, that blood is metaphorical rather than actual.

Sadly, while the “spectators” to our “performance” should only be those in need of healing, in need of Our Lord’s touch, all too often those spectators include members of the Body of Christ who are simply unwilling to put in the “time” necessary to “receive the prize.” Too many in our flocks are all too happy to sit on the sidelines and let others do the work of the Church. Worse, like “spectators” they are also willing to critique that in which they will not participate. The famous 80/20 rule says 80% of the work in the Church is done by 20% of her members. It is an accurate observation, but it means that 80% of the Church, rather than participating in the Sacrifice of Christ, would rather sit there with undamaged feet, making little to no effort to grow in Christ.

Even more sadly, all too many in that 80% assume that just because the use the name of Christ, it means that their insurance policy is paid up. That is a very dangerous assumption.

St. Matthew 7:21-23 — “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”