“Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort,
that you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts!”
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision,
but only a new creation.”
“Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.”
It doesn’t happen very often, but even selecting the above excerpts from the three readings today and putting them together in print feels a little uncomfortable. Regrettably, I’m a bit too comfortable with similar references in advertisements, music, television shows, movies, and in popular culture, in general. We are inundated with image and story defining our bodies, especially the more sexual or sexualized parts, and how we are free to use them. Sensual and seductive, our bodies are reflected back to us by much of our culture as a means to an end. It has been going on for so long, that we are pretty comfortable with it. It is easy to accept this constant messaging without thinking much is wrong with it. We have begun to presume that our bodies are primarily instruments for unrestricted pleasure. It’s pretty powerful.
We can sometimes recognize that the idealized cultural norm for our bodies has its own limitations, however. The tyranny of conformity, perfection, and performance result in shame, inadequacy, and (over)compensation. While billions are spent for us to attract a sexual partner through better looks, smells, or stamina, there are prophets who rail against the psychological trauma from body shaming or sexual inadequacies and advocate for self acceptance. These are voices calling out in the wilderness. The results of our heightened cultural sexual expectations can be quite tragic, even in the extreme. Yet, little seems to change. Everything just seems to get more sexually explicit and overexposed.
The acceptance of cultural norms for our sexuality diminishes our capacity to speak religiously, theologically, and spiritually about our bodies and what we do with them. With a strong Puritan influence in the United States, the one message that comes out loud and clear from “religion” is that sex is simply bad. That seems to be the counterpoint to the excesses of culture. It is the discomfort I feel about sexual and body references in scripture. Better to move quickly past those passages or ignore them completely. We have surrendered the more integrated approach of the whole person, including our bodies, made in the image and likeness of God. Each and every one of our bodies is beautifully and wonderfully made. All our parts are special, holy, honored, and good. Sex is more than just gratification or mechanical baby-making. It is the most joyful and vulnerable gift of ourselves to another. It is a pinnacle of communion and the manifestation of a deep and abiding love. It is joined to God’s creative act and is part of his hopes and dreams for humanity. It is an image of God’s love for us. We often fall short of this ideal, but sex is good. Our bodies are good.
In the end, our cultural references for our bodies and sexuality fall flat, uninspiring and unachievable. We were made for so much more. Saint John Paul II thought and taught extensively about this more for which we were made. In short weekly reflections over several years, he presented a comprehensive vision of the beauty of our bodies and of the sexual act in relationship to God. We now call this the Theology of the Body. With art, music, stories, and humor, the event Made for More: Visions of the Promised Land at St. Patrick on September 18 will reveal this beauty. It will pierce your heart, open your mind, and transform your life with love. Not a bad way to spend an evening! Get tickets at corproject.com/events/louisville/