我弄傷無名指的時候，已經預料到要花好幾個月才能完全康復。當我按照醫生的吩咐，為無名指做一些規定的復健運動時，旁邊的小指也開始抽痛，於是我詢問醫生這是什麼原因。醫生說：「這是十指連心，同感疼痛。」無名指與小指的神經相互連結、互相依賴。一根手指受傷，另一根手指也會一起疼痛。

使徒保羅以人體為比喻，闡述上帝子民的獨特性與合一性。在哥林多前書12章21-26節，他強調了每一個肢體對整體健康運作的重要性。接著，他將焦點轉向我們彼此連結時所實現的合一。「若一個肢體受苦，所有的肢體就一同受苦」（26節）。保羅對教會內部彼此連結的描繪，也體現在他的其他書信中，例如「與哀哭的人要同哀哭」（羅馬書12章15節），以及「各人的重擔要互相擔當」（加拉太書6章2節）。

今天，當我與人握手，或拿筷子為客人夾菜的時候，我都能感受到無名指與小指隱隱作痛。我們身上的各個部位共同運作，既能傳遞痛楚，也能彼此支撐，促進健康。感謝上帝，透過這種同感疼痛，使我們看見在教會這個基督屬靈的身體中，我們需要彼此連結，互相扶持。

When I injured my ring finger, I expected months of pain before regaining its full function. As I practiced the prescribed exercises, the finger next to it began to throb, so I consulted my doctor. “Sympathy pain,” he said. A branching between the nerves of the ring and pinky fingers causes dependence on one another. If one finger hurts, the other aches in sympathy.

The apostle Paul uses the human body to illustrate the uniqueness and unity of God’s people. In 1 Corinthians 12:21-26, he reinforces how valuable each individual member is to the healthy functioning of the whole. Then he turns his attention to the unity achieved when we connect with each other: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (v. 26). His description of the church’s interconnectedness is echoed in these verses, as we ought to “mourn with those who mourn,” and “carry each other’s burdens” (Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2).

Today, as I extend my hand to greet someone or grab a spoon to prepare a meal for guests, I notice the strain in both my ring finger and my pinky. The various parts of our physical bodies work together to express pain and to strengthen each other toward health. I thank God that He reveals our need for connection to each other in His spiritual body, the church, through sympathy pain.