Stigmata

In his study, Easter Earthquake, James Harnish says, "...a medical dictionary defined stigmataas "cutaneous evidence of systemic illness."  

We think of Christ's scars as stigmata - evidence of his suffering on the cross.  Harnish goes further than that to provide examples of stigmata in our society: starving children, refugees, murder victims....  And if you use the example of "cutaneous evidence of systemic illness," those comparisons make sense.

Where in your community do you see stigmata? How is your church and how are you called to take on that suffering as Christ did?