"That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new which is under the sun." Ecclesisastes 1:9
I spent Friday night at a pre-conference meeting for the upcoming Passion for Purity Youth Conference here in San Diego. This "gala" as they called it was intriguing in and of itself (an entirely different subject and story for a different time), but what it really did was rekindle an old spark that ironically you might call a passion of mine, and that being purity. By spark I mean that it gave me an interest to do more research on the subject, and in many ways I'm not proud to say, but I've already read many a book on the subject, and am still wrestling with the notion of what it means to be pure in the area of sexuality...
"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23
There is one thing that truly drives a person to despair, and that is a broken heart. I wish I had all the answers as this verse is one that is always running through my mind, especially since I attend a community college and am constantly surrounded by young men and women and their relational antics. But I don't believe this to be something new, I think it has always been a problem, and will continue to be a problem. It is easy to say, "Oh, how bad are things! Oh, wretched is the state of the world!" but look at the history of Sodom and Gomorrah, it is on page
15 of
1059 in one of my Bibles (henceforth, a long, long time ago). Imagine living in ancient Greece, I've heard some pretty licentious stories about their societal state. And here are some quotes that can be found:
"The world is passing through troublous times. The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for the girls, they are forward, immodest and unladylike in speech, behavior and dress."
Peter the Hermit
in A.D. 1274
"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint"
Hesiod, 8th century BC
"The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect to their elders.... They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and are tyrants over their teachers."
Attributed to Socrates by Plato
There is current debate over whether some of these quotes were actually spoken by their listed authors, but really, think about it, it's not hard at all to accept. Consider this, has the wretched depraved state of mankind's heart changed anytime over the course of history? I believe not. Therefore, the same way that Jesus said that we will always have the poor with us, we can know that we will always have the sexually immoral. Is this ok? No. But Can we have some sense of peace understanding these things? Yes
What then do we do about it, in our lives, for our children, for our future... we study, we pray, we fight...
I acquired this poem/prayer a while ago and... well... think about it... pray it even...
Lord, it's hard to know what sex really is----
Is it some demon put here to torment me?
Or some delicious seducer from reality?
It is neither of these, Lord.
I know what sex is---
It is body and spirit,
It is passion and tenderness,
It is strong embrace and gentle handholding,
It is open nakedness and hidden mystery,
It is joyful tears on honeymoon faces, and
It is tears on wrinkled faces at a golden wedding anniversary.
Sex is a quiet look across the room,
A love not on a pillow,
A rose laid on a breakfast plate
Laughter in the night.
Sex is life--not all of life--
But wrapped up in the meaning of life.
Sex is your good gift, O God,
To enrich life,
To continue the race,
To communicate,
To show me who I am,
To reveal my mate,
To cleanse through "one flesh."
Lord, some people say sex and religion don't mix.
But your Word says sex is good.
Help me to keep it good in my life.
Help me to be open about sex.
And still protect its mystery.
Help me to see that sex is neither demon nor deity.
Help me not to climb into a fantasy world
of imaginary sexual partners;
Keep me in the real world
To love the people you created.
Teach me that my soul does not have to frown at sex.
It's hard for many people to say, "Thank God for sex!"
Because for them sex is more a problem than a gift.
They need to know that sex and gospel can be linked together again.
Show me how I can help them.
Thank you, Lord, for making me a sexual being,
Thank you for showing me how to treat others with trust and love.
Thank you for letting me talk to you about sex.
Thank you that I feel free to say:
"Thank God for sex."
Prayer by Harry Hollis Jr.
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