Month: April 2023

I think about sex a lot.

Now I know that is a stereotypical (classic comedic fodder) statement about men, and sure … I have grown up in this hypersexualized and thoroughly sexually broken world too. But that’s not what I mean. In fact, I sorta mean the opposite.

Why sex? Why did God make it? Why did he make it so amazing? The God who gave the gift of orgasms to humans (contrast the blank stare of cattle, dogs, etc.) was up to something — or lots of somethings. I like to think about that. One reason is that I’ve grown up in a (Christian) culture that has had a hard time viewing this great gift without shame, which has left all sorts of room for twisting and exploitation and hijacking of it. So I think about it, looking at the Bible and with the Lord, to be healed, and to crowd out the darkness and lies that assault my own life with truth, with the real.

But another (and ultimately greater) reason I think so much about it is that I truly believe biological life reflects spiritual life (bios reflects zoe, in Greekspeak) — that God deliberately designed this world and the way it works to reveal himself, to teach us how the “life that is truly life” works. So beyond the amazing experience, which (along with food, drink, nature, etc.) shows us God is a god of exquisite pleasure, what about this revealed mystery that marriage is to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church — he the husband, we (collectively) not just his Body, but his bride? And within that mystery (see Ephesians 5), I ask again — what about sex? What does sex in marriage show us about the nature of the relationship between God and his people, both now (in the groaning betrothal) and in the ecstatic eternal?

That may have been more explanation than you wanted, and may have gotten you anticipating a better poem than I was probably able to write. But I do like this poem and the many others I’ve written musing on this topic. I think we as the people of God will honor God by becoming truly the biggest fans of sex and sexuality (properly exercised) on the planet. I’ve appreciated writers like Sheila Wray Gregoire recently who practically explore these themes.

As always, I welcome your comments. Thanks for reading.

This poem is one of the many many MANY I have written in these last years as a way to try to cooperate/endure/stay in the forge. The more exquisite the creation (we human beings), the more the potential for ruin, and I feel that — SO fragmented and disintegrated at times. Can one ever feel whole? It can get crazy … dark … crazy dark. (Is anyone else thinking of “sharks with lasers — laser sharks” from The Lego Movie right now?)

Anyway, God. And the occasional rare treasure of someone who just won’t give up on you even when you rake them through the emotional coals. And the dogged tenacity he puts in our souls to endure. I think God gets a kick out of things like this poem and whatever and whoever in your own lives gives you perspective and lightens the groaning load.

Posted a Holy Week poem last week (about “Sad Saturday”), so it seemed appropriate to post an Easter one today. (This will actually be the second Easter poem I’ve posted–the first is here.)

The specific biblical background for this story is Luke 24:13-35, one of my favorite stories in Scripture … for some of the reasons that are in this poem. (If you also dig this story and want to hear a very energetic, very clever song that I really really like about the same topic, you can go to this link.)

Jesus is really funny sometimes…

John 19:31 NIV says of the day between Good Friday and Easter, “The next day was to be a special Sabbath.” Literally it reads “For the day of that Sabbath was great.” The concept of “Silent Saturday” or “Sad Saturday” (or just Sad-urday if you prefer lol), with all of its agony, being a “great” day grabbed my poetic attention and so I wrote this.

May your Holy Week be one where the living Christ draws closer to each and every one of you, and in and to your gatherings and communities if that applies!