As someone counted down the seconds until the clock hit 2:00, we reached out and grabbed the hands of the people on either side of us. During the Revolution in our country, this human chain that stretched from the northern to southern border was one of the highlights for many. At the appointed time, we all started singing the national anthem as news cameras drove by and an old woman passed out bottled waters that she bought to share with the protestors.

It was a fun, bonding experience, but I wasn't prepared for the huge emotional wave that hit me when I saw the videos of the entire chain later in the day. Seeing the small part I played in something so much bigger than any one person was inspiring, to say the least. People from all over the country, all religions, all walks of life, all holding hands in unity of purpose.

Sometimes the daily slog of life and ministry can feel discouraging and isolating, especially in a context where seeing fruit is a long process. But just like zooming out and seeing the entire human chain put my tiny role into perspective, so can the reminder of Paul that we are all part of the body of Christ be a great encouragement to us.

Paul tells us that God placed each of us in the body just where He wanted us to be (1 Cor 12:18). We all have a specific job to do. The eye's job is to see and the ear's job is to hear. Those roles are both extremely critical and yet also small considering the big picture of all the body can do.

As a body, we have a mission: taking Jesus to those who don't know Him. Our contexts are all so different. Some of us are medical workers in the bush, some of us teach English in the inner-city, others are church planters in a closed country. And yet, as different as we are, our shared purpose unites us in a beautiful and humbling way… for the glory of God and the fulfillment of His mission.