So... it's sorta a weird thing to talk/think/write about... but I guess that's my point. The Church's presentation of sex is off, I think. From a very young age we are told that sex is BAD, and you have to wait until you're married... uh, wait, wait... I'm pretty sure that sends out a bunch of mixed messages. Why does something "bad" suddenly become "good" after a certain point? Calling sex a sin is incorrect there, kids. I mean, God created sex... to be beautiful and consuming and intimate. Sex is more than physical. It's spiritual. As a pastor said to me today, "It's impossible to seperate the body from the spirit as a Christian. You have to understand that they're connected." If I'm going to go a step further, I could say things like a majestic, complex piano solo can be errotic, or standing in front of the ocean for the first time. I think we've taken sex out of context... like we've done with everything else. We've made it ditry. I mean, it's because sex has the binding emotional and spiritual properties that is should only be shared with one other person. If it's shared with many, it leaves scars and brokenness while becoming a tarnished, filthy act instead of being the beautiful experience God meant it to be. Adam and Eve were shamless and naked in the garden. God didn't find shame in it... but we do, because of the fall. Now humans have to deal with lust and adultry. The experience is meant to be shared with only one person... just as God expects fidelity from us. But sex is being splashed across the TV and movie screens like it's without consequences. It's seen in some parts of society as simly a recreation. Like our view of God, sexuality has lost the mystery and majesty. Now everything is expendable and explainable. I mean, if the media is influencing society's views of sexuality, then the church needs to step it up and re-examine their view of sex and how they present it to the younger generations. In all honesty, I think this whole struggle has a bigger, more general struggle behind it. The view that God doesn't count our deeds for anything. We don't get golden star stickers. It's not about not having sex before marriage (gasp).... It's about God wanting our hearts to be completely His. And in doing that, we accept that he wants, knows, and will lead us in what is best for us. Abstinence, he says, is what's best. He doesn't want to see us hurt with the pain the other routes cause. And if our view of sex as simply a physical act changes, then maybe some overall mentality will start to change. Veiwing sex as something holy and set apart as a gift from God makes me feel more compelled to stay pure... because unlike what the soap operas display, it actually means something.
I dunno. That's something that's been running through my mind lately. Feel free to dispute, disagree, or comment.
