All Right, unless you are some kind of Jeopardy freak, if you have opened the link to this story, you probably all have the same question. What is a philtrum?
The philtrum is the groove under your nose that goes to your top lip. As long as I can remember, I have wondered what it was and why it was there. For many years, I called it a snot channel because that was what I assumed its function must be. However, once I realized that I don’t really want or need something to cause mucus to flow more evenly out of my nose, I just figured it was another pointless body part, like an appendix, wisdom teeth, or tonsils.
But God put it there, and everybody has one, so it must fit into Paul’s metaphor of the Body of Christ. In 1 Cor. 12:12-31, Paul sets up this wonderful image of how God’s people are to function together.
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. … Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many…
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Though we are all part of this body, there are clearly parts that get better roles than others. We are often instructed to be the hands and feet of Jesus, going out and doing the things he wants done. But a bunch of footed hands would not be very functional, so Paul goes on to describe the jealousy of not being the part you want, “If the whole body was an ear, where would the sense of smell be?” 12:17.
And I am clearly not qualified to be the hands of Jesus. I remember one time when the men from my Sunday School class volunteered to replace the roof of a church member in need. After spending all day up on the roof (My fear of ladders didn’t really work well here either), we finished and looked at our work. Rather than seeing straight lines of carefully placed shingles, this woman’s roof looked like a side view of the ocean at high tide. Needless to say, I have not been asked to participate in much “hands of Jesus” work since then.
So where do I fit into the body of Christ? What is my purpose, and how does it fit into the work of the rest of the church?
Am I Useless? What is My Purpose?
Am I as useless as I believed the Philtrum to be? Well, as it turns out, the Philtrum doesn’t have a function as much as it is a result. The Philtrum is the seam caused by all the aspects of your face coming together in the womb. So, if I am the philtrum, I am the combination of things that God has given me to act in his service. Let’s take a shot at what that might look like, and be prepared, this is a metaphor I will be driving hard into the ground, so hold on to your hats.
Let Me See What You See
When the philtrum is formed, it brings together a variety of different pieces, and if I am, as I believe, like most people. There are parts of my face that I like, and some that I have concerns about.
I have always believed that I have very nice eyes. Not only are they an interesting color, but I have learned how to use them to great effect in communication. I’m sure all of us remember that “teacher look” that could freeze you in place. And like I have learned how to get the most out of my eyes, when we are locating our purpose in the Body of Christ, we should always examine and measure the gifts that God has given us, and we can do this in three distinct ways.
Just as the eyes are a miracle, almost beyond comprehension, we should take a look at the nine gifts of the Spirit (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of the spirit, tongues, and interpretation of tongues) which are God’s ways of reaching out to us that we don’t really understand.. These tend to be more spiritual, and sometimes mystical and always miraculous, but they are God’s ways of communicating with us, directly and individually. When we seek to find our ‘calling’ or role, we should listen to the Spirit’s words about where we should go and what we can do.
But as the eye serves an incredibly important earthly role, we should also focus on the more worldly gifts that we are given which Paul refers to as “different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” (Rom 12:6). Here we see things that will come naturally to us: serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy.
I have seen lists that include working with your hands, craftsmanship, and creativity. These are the things we do well, or our strengths. Though we often use them to benefit ourselves and our present, they are also wonderful ways of expressing our belief in God. Therefore, as we use our eyes to see the world around us and what needs to be done, we need to take the skill set that we have and incorporate it into how we serve God.
There is yet another level where we are gifted, and that is the consideration of where our passions lie, who we would like to serve. A dear friend of mine once suggested that I pray to see the world as God sees it. When I remember to do this, and when God answers, I see not only a glorious creation, but the pain, fear, and suffering of those around me. Our role in the service of God should always be aimed at what we see here, at what breaks our hearts.
I Like to Talk, but Sometimes I Need an Aaron
When I claim that my mouth may be my weakest facial feature, I don’t mean that it’s hideous or anything, but there are a lot of problems with how it works; I lisp. Most of the time, it’s not even noticeable, but once it was pointed out to me, I hear it all the time. My tendency for years was to be quiet to avoid embarrassment, but then God convinced me I had things that I needed to say, that my purpose was with language, and, at times, I would need to speak through my lisp. And sometimes, I write instead of speak, and sometimes I let others speak for me, as Moses did with Aaron. You cannot let whatever you claim is holding you back keep you from using the gifts that God has given you.
I Have My Father’s Nose
It’s right in the middle of my face and has often been described as having a large ball bearing on the end, and if that were not enough of a problem, it has recently been scarred in such a way that it will, probably, always be noticeable. For better or worse, this nose will always be a part of my face and will always represent the parts of me that are weakened and wounded.
But just as we must focus on the gifts that God has given us when we find our purpose in Him, we cannot forget the parts of us that are scared.
I, personally, always have my hackles raised when I hear anyone talk about the wonderful life that God has given them and that everything is just great. Just as I believe the best math teachers are those who struggled with math, I believe that we are much more effective proclaiming the Good News if we don’t hide the scars that life has given us.
So let me be clear. It is my guess that no one reading this, when searching for the place that God has created for them, will become the next Billy Graham or Mother Theresa, and that’s ok. God created them to be the hands and feet of Jesus. But that does not diminish what He has in store for you. Let us put together the amazing gifts that God has given us that proudly show our scars while pushing through our weaknesses and fears. Oh Lord, let us all proudly be your Philtrum.
