A Dark And Quiet Room

Following up on my previous thought.

On Sunday, Crystal was talking to me about the wonders of the human body. She loves biology and anatomy, and she was waxing eloquent about the amazing deeds that God has done in creating our bodies.

Then I commented, “I find it very disturbing that I have intestines.”

Of course, I wasn’t just talking about intestines. I was talking about all the stuff that is inside us. Hard stuff like bones or cartilage. Squishy stuff like organs and muscles and, yes, intestines. I was thinking about the pictures that you see of people torn open during war. I was thinking of the glimpse I had of my wife’s uterus after a Caesarian.

Recently, Crystal was reading a book on “body types”, which included personality issues as well as health issues. One of the questions that you needed to answer was, “Do you see yourself as a body with a spirit, or as a spirit with a body?” This is a surprisingly insightful question. It doesn’t quite map to the Myers-Briggs Extroversion/Introversion division, but it is related, I think.

Anyways, I think of myself as a spirit with a body. I mean, check out the opening paragraph. “…amazing deeds that God has done in creating our bodies.”

Not, “…in creating us.” Because, somehow, my body is separate from me.

That’s not really what it is. It’s more that my body is an extension of me, but it’s not really me.

This extends to how I view sickness. Sickness is an external force that is attacking me. You go to a doctor, because he can pierce the veil and look across the battlefield at the oncoming force. The idea that the sickness is inside someone really bothers me somehow.

I’m not really sure if I have a point here. Once, I might have, but now I think I lost it.

Except that I’m really grateful that Jesus took on a body, with all the funky squishy bits, and was filled with poop for me. And I mean that seriously and with the highest respect. One of the prerogatives of being God that He laid aside was the right to be free of having to use the bathroom. If you consider how we are captive to our intestines, you will also be filled with gratitude at this act of grace to His people.

And now, I’d better go.

Those of you who know me, know that I’m fairly opposed to the war in Iraq. Indeed, I tend to be opposed to foreign adventures just on general principle. War is a serious thing, and I take it very seriously. It consumes all who are near, without mercy or pity. This is true, even with a justifiable war, and so I insist that there be moral clarity before pursuing this ultimate political act.

But I’m not going to argue about the war here. And, FYI, I will delete any comments that try to debate this point with me. You Have Been Warned.

Instead, I want to talk about something else.

My friend Jason is being deployed. He leaves tomorrow for training and then, in a couple of months, he will be heading to Iraq. That means that he is heading into the maelstrom, being sent into harm’s way.

Pray for him. Pray for the safety of his soul. Pray for the safety of his body. Pray that he would reach out with the love of Christ, as a true solder of Jesus. Pray that he would be brave in fulfilling his duty. Pray that he would show mercy to the weak and compassion to the downtrodden. Pray that he will still be faithful to Jesus, even when undergoing the fires of adversity. And pray that he would return home to his family and his church.

Godspeed, Jason. Come back soon.