In May, I was blessed to go to Japan through the UCC Board of Global Ministries.
I studied the rich and complex history of the church in Japan, volunteered with two UCC partner ministries (Asian Rural Institute and the Bazaar Café, highly recommend both), and did some sightseeing
The Japanese people enthralled me with their humility, kindness and unfailing politeness, their sense of ceremony and order, their attention to presentation, space and beauty. All of that was evidenced by what I did not find in Japan: public trash cans.
Those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect. – 1 Corinthians 12:23 (NRSV)
Literally, there are no trash cans on sidewalks, train or subway stations, parks, or anywhere. Even more surprising to my American eyes, there was not one speck of trash in need of a trash can. We can scarcely imagine it although we can easily imagine how much more trashed our country would be without public trash cans.
You might wonder, “What do people do in Japan when they are away from home and need to throw something away?” They pack it up and take it home. In this culture, people have so much respect for themselves, for each other and for their environment, they give special honor and attention to their trash.
Paul had a similar insight. He urged the early church to give greater honor to the members “we think [are] less honorable” because, apparently, the bad habit of honoring some church folk more than others has been a thing from the beginning. Paul wants us to treat people we might be inclined to toss aside with greater care. The health of the whole body depends on it.
Prayer
Having a body and being the body are difficult, Incarnate One. May the church treat me with special care and honor, especially when I mess up.