The Body Tells the Tale

Communicating the Gospel through the Reconciled Local Church

Abstract

A human body tells a tale. Unhealthy habits, past trauma, and lack of personal care communicate something to the world around us. Our bodies reveal whether we are whole or not. The local church is the expression and presence of the body of Christ. Have we considered deeply enough what tale the body tells? The New Testament contends for a reconciled local church where habits, trauma, practices of self-care are taken seriously precisely because reconciled church health is crucial for the integral and credible communication of the gospel in the world. This is even more important the more local the church is, for it is in our local context where people see Christians and experience the body of Christ.

In this paper we will explore both the biblical themes pointing to the importance of healthy, reconciled local church life for the communication of the gospel and to practices and postures necessary to help the body tell the tale regarding the good news of God’s kingdom.