I’ve been thinking about the deep connection between our physical longings and our spiritual longings — between our physical joys and our spiritual joys. In this issue of The Merry Mystic, I share a new hymn that rejoices in that connection. Then I talk about the missing verse: a verse I didn’t write that was begging to be written. As you listen to the song, can you guess what’s missing?
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(Sheet music for the hymn “When I Hunger” is available from the Free Stuff page on this web site.)
Hi Adam
I have been enjoying your thoughts and the comments in regards to typics that generally aren’t discussed in today’s churches. It really doesn’t surprise me that no one has shared a comment, because I’m thinking it is an uncomfortable topic for most churched people, unfortunately, me included. With that said, this has given me an opportunity to think about why I’m so guarded about discussing the similarities of spiritually and sexuality. My first thoughts are about keeping this topic private, not out of shamed, but because sharing, in my mind, would disrespect my spiritual relationship with God and the physical relationship I have here in this world. I lived in what is called the ” Bible Belt” for a large part of my adult life. My Christian friends were in my perspective, almost possessed with sharing what is called the “Good News”. I on the other side was not convinced that revealing my personal relationship with my God was appropriate for me, it was just to special and so very intimate. Sometimes I wonder if I feel this way because I’ve compartmentalized this topic as a result of upbringing or adult thought out feelings of keeping this whole topic sacred.
Thank you for this opportunity to rethink and discuss topics that I have kept to myself because it didn’t fit the typical Christian model.
With Warm Thoughts, Susan
Thanks for daring to comment, Susan! I like your suggestion that our relationship with God may, like our relationship with our life partners, be too special, too intimate, to be discussed openly. Fair enough. I never talk with anyone but my wife about my relationship with my wife. Even typing out the words “my relationship with my wife” makes me feel uncomfortable — it feels too special to be typed about.
But sexuality and spirituality — as long as it doesn’t doesn’t get too personal! — I’m comfortable discussing. This subject, like so many others, is more acceptable in our seminaries than in most of our churches. There is a lot of frank or thinly veiled sex in the Old Testament, and I don’t think you can teach or study it honestly without engaging the topic. (My Old Testament professor in seminary — a woman, a fine and jovial scholar, and a plus size both in spirit and body — used to do a very provocative striptease-style reading of the Song of Songs!)
Unfortunately, sex in the Bible and in our whole Christian tradition is entangled with several problems that ought to be unrelated, but aren’t. One is the patriarchal culture of our faith ancestors, who viewed women as property and who viewed female sexuality as a threat. Another, I think, is a theological viewpoint that sees the human being as essentially corrupt — “totally depraved,” as Calvin liked to put it — and sees the human body as the principal culprit. Sigh. It’s hard to know where to start talking about the connection between sexuality and spirituality in such a poisonous atmosphere.