Jia Haixia lost his sight in the year 2000. His friend Jia Wenqi lost his arms as a child. But theyāve found a way around their disabilities. āI am his hands and he is my eyes,ā Haixia says. Together, theyāre transforming their village in China.
Since 2002 the friends have been on a mission to regenerate a wasteland near their home. Each day Haixia climbs on Wenqiās back to cross a river to the site. Wenqi then āhandsā Haixia a shovel with his foot, before Haixia places a pail on a pole between Wenqiās cheek and shoulder. And as one digs and the other waters, the two plant treesāmore than 10,000 so far. āWorking together, we donāt feel disabled at all,ā Haixia says. āWeāre a team.ā
The apostle Paul likens the church to a body, each part needing the other to function. If the church were all eyes, thereād be no hearing; if all ears, thereād be no sense of smell (1 Corinthians 12:14ā17). āThe eye cannot say to the hand, āI donāt need you!ā ā Paul says (v. 21). Each of us plays a role in the church based on our spiritual gifts (vv. 7ā11, 18). Like Jia Haixia and Jia Wenqi, when we combine our strengths, we can bring change to the world.
Two men combining their abilities to regenerate a wasteland. What a picture of the church in action!
