intimacy

Prevailing view on sex (in 1^st C. Corinth and 21^st C. U.S.A.):

Body: Doesn’t matter. Do with it what you want: if you’re hungry, eat; if you want sex, have sex.  We’re all going to die soon anyway.

            

Intimacy: It’s about gratifying my physical and emotional needs.  Maintaining my independence in the process is important (if I don’t want to get hurt).  It’s casual.

             

The Apostle Paul’s view on sex:

            

Body: It matters!  It was created for God.  It will be resurrected by God.  It is the temple of God. 

            

Intimacy: It unifies.  Two become one.  It’s designed to be a full surrender of my independence to another.  It’s more powerful than we realize.

What fuels Paul’s view of sex is his understanding that this life is not all there in to life (I Cor. 7:2-31).  Therefore human relationships are, at least in part, designed to teach us about the ultimate relationship: that between God and humanity. Marriage is ultimately designed to teach us about God.  And so is singleness.  

Relationships are not neutral.  They are either helping us know God or hindering our knowledge of God. 

If you remove God/eternal life from the picture, intimacy is all about gratification and my body becomes a tool.  And all that really matters is physical appearance, sex, and the romantic pursuit.  Because that’s as close as I can get to heaven. 

(But my soul knows better and longs for more, whether my mind is willing to acknowledge God or not.)