World Communion Sunday: A Global Recentering

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many… If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12: 12-14, 26-27 NRSVUE) 

World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday in October, has become a time when Christians in every culture break bread and pour the cup to remember and affirm Christ as the Head of the Church. On that day, we remember that we are part of the whole body of believers. 

As members in the body of Christ we must also think of the whole body when we advocate and when we vote for our elected officials. There are many issues of concern for our global partners and the laws that are passed in the United States affect noncitizens who cannot vote in our elections in a variety of ways. The United States is one of the most influential countries in the world. As a nation, we hold a veto in the United Nations Security Council, we have a huge economy that imports from and exports to almost every country, and our military has bases all over the world that can both threaten and provide security to host communities. 

When we advocate for the eradication of nuclear weapons, we join our voices with peacemakers around the world, including the hibakusha in Japan, Pacific Island nations affected by the legacy of nuclear testing, and people living in places that mine uranium and store nuclear waste. When we vote for members of Congress and a President who are committed to fair trade practices, we join with labor leaders here in the U.S. and in places like the Philippines, Mexico, Bangladesh, and Kenya who are making their farms, factories, and mines safe for the workers in their communities. A world with fair labor practices is a world without human trafficking and other exploitative systems. 

When we vote for people who respect the dignity of migrants and people from other cultures and faith traditions, who are committed to creating humane immigration policies, we join with other communities of faith in welcoming migrants, refugees, and displaced people. Our partners in Italy, South Sudan, Mexico, Hong Kong, and Jordan show us how they welcome those displaced by conflict, climate change, and various economic forces. 

When we confront the effects of climate change and work to disrupt and change the systems of extractive industries, we join with partners working on adaptation, mitigation, restoring indigenous agricultural and stewardship practices, and helping those affected by disasters to rebuild, repair, and prepare for the next disaster. 

Advocacy and voting are things we do as people of faith for our own communities, but we must not forget that it can also affect communities around the world. So go vote, advocate, and work for justice as one member in the body of Christ for the good of the whole body. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rebekah Choate is the Minister for Global Advocacy and Education for Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ.