June 18, 2009

Mother Theresa Wasn’t Missing Out

I once played drums for a college youth group in Peoria. One day, the married youth pastor gave a sermonette on how great sex was, and how much we should all look forward to having it. A great message to Christian teens trying to control their celibacy until marriage, which was likely 5-10 more years away. Perhaps he was intentionally trying to preach against the stigma that all churches think sex is bad. But, I think we need to be very careful not to promote sex as the ultimate human experience, either. I mean, c'mon, an animal can do it. I have never been in the midst of an amazing spiritual experience, and thought, "boy I'd really like to have sex right now." Nor have I ever been in the midst of an intense musical experience, or an act of charity or a deep conversation and had that desire either. You know the story of Jesus and the woman at the well? After having this transforming encounter with her, the disciples came back from buying food and tried to get him to eat something, knowing that he must be as tired and hungry from the journey as they were. But he replied, "I have food you do not know about." There is a spiritual reality that satiates all lesser desires. And that is the ultimate we should all be shooting for. Sex is good. But, it's comparatively overrated.
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