Religion has too often been an agent of anti-life, a negation of the goodness of God’s creation.
We fast, we abstain, we humble ourselves, we embrace discipline, and we speak of dying to ourselves. When not seen through the prism of life these things are so morbid. No wonder Ayn Rand hated religion. If her understanding of our faith were the reality of our faith, I would join her in her hatred of Christianity.
When separated from the life and joy of God these disciplines become a mockery of the God of joy, life, goodness, and abundance.
The disciplines are intended to prune the branches on our tree of life in order that we may enjoy even more fruit.
We fast not because food is bad or our bodies are evil. We fast to prune the life-giving branch on the tree of life. Then, when we give thanks for the meal we join our voice with the ancient prayer, “Blessed are you, O Lord, who brings forth bread from the earth.”
We discipline our lives not to negate the joy and goodness of living, but rather to prune the fruit bearing tree so that we can enjoy even more life and goodness.
Who better enjoys food: the gluttonous man who remains un-satiated regardless of how often he returns to the buffet line, or the disciple who has tempered his appetite through fasting and prayer so that he enjoys a proper and life-giving relationship with his food and drink?
Lent reminds me to prune the branches on the tree of life.
Lent reminds me, “Every branch that bears fruit will be pruned.”
Lent reminds me, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
During this season of Lent, I have been mediating on “The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem.”
In my previous posts I wrote about overcoming sloth, faintheartedness, the lust for power, and idle talk.
Now, we turn the corner to embrace the fruit of repentance: chastity, humility, patience, and love.
I invite you to pray this prayer with me:
O Lord and Master of My Life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth, faintheartedness
Lust for power, and idle talk.
Give rather the spirit of chastity, humility,
Patience and love to Your servant.
Yes, O Lord and King!
Grant me to see my own error
And not to judge my brother.
For You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.
The beginning virtue is “chastity.” The word group the New Testament uses for “chastity” is, strictly speaking, untranslatable. The best we can do is translating it, “of sound mind,” “to be of sound mind,” “to bring someone to their senses,” “moderate, self-disciplined,” “moderation, self-control,” or “temperance.”
“Wholeness” may be the best current translation. The idea is a spiritual health, a correct and appropriate way of reasoning, and a moderation that is expressed in inner equilibrium. It is the virtue of temperance that overcomes the passions, bringing the whole person to a place of wholeness in Christ.
This “chastity” or “temperance” was ranked along with prudence, justice, and courage as the four cardinal virtues.
By the time “chastity” has worked its way to us it has retained a limited understanding of its original content. It has been reduced to refer only to a person’s sexual habits. While unfortunate, this is reduction is understandable. Where else is the broken character of our existence better revealed than here, in this most intimate of places?
Don’t get me wrong. Sex is God’s idea. He created it to be a sacred and satisfying union between husband and wife. It is a living icon of the soul’s longing for union with God.
As God’s idea it is beautiful, healing, loving, and sanctifying.
It is so powerful and dangerous it must be safely confined within the bonds of the covenant of marriage between man and woman. Anything less is missing the mark of what God has designed and what we truly desire and need. Everything else strays from the path of healing and sanctifying grace the marriage bed was intended to be.
This is why all forms of sexual immorality are called sin: It “misses the mark.” It does not fulfill the purpose of what God intended. It may be pleasurable for a moment; but it leaves less of you, not more. Outside of God’s perfect design it diminishes you.
Chastity is not a negation of the joys of physical love and intimacy. It is the pruning of a fruitful branch on the tree of life.
Through chastity we are no longer like animals satisfying instinctual and biological needs, but rather we are human beings made fully alive expressing the most intimate, tender, beautiful, and life affirming union between two equals.
Here we find the fullest satisfaction. The life of the body is no longer alienated from the control of the spirit. We willingly give our self to the other in the beautiful mystery of deepest exchange, the two becoming one in body as well as soul.
Intimately dangerous, capable of the deepest healing or destruction, the longing, open, and vulnerable couple meets in the secret chamber to become one in this most intimate dance of marriage. Chastity is awe’s response to this glorious mystery.
Chastity-temperance-wholeness is to have its complete work in my whole being. Here, in Lent, I cry out to God, “Give me the spirit of chastity, wholeness, self-discipline, a sound mind…”
“Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Proverbs 25:28
One of the most beautiful places the word for “wholeness” is used in the New Testament is the story of when Jesus delivered a man from a legion of demons. Mark says the man was “clothed, and in his right mind” (Mk 5:15). Jesus clothed his nakedness and healed his brokenness. This is what “wholeness/chastity” means. This is what I long for. This is what I pray for. This is what He does for me.
To be continued…
Debbie and I serve as the FMI Global Associate Director for MENACA and Europe. We focus on cultivating disciples, leaders, and church planting movements.
