Holy Sexuality
I read and re-read the Chronicles of Narnia so many times as a kid. I’m so grateful in retrospect for those imaginative stories that are both rollicking good reads and deep sources of truth about the world. Later this year, a high-budget, Hollywood film version of The Magician’s Nephew is going to be released. I can hardly wait.
Among the images and quotes from Narnia that have always stuck with me, this one from the book, “Prince Caspian,” has always been at the top of the list: "You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve," said Aslan (the lion). "And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content."
Out of context from the book, let me offer a brief interpretation of the two parallel, profound truths expressed here. Aslan, the lion and Christ figure of the Narnian world, is trying to encourage a human character on account of their troubling ancestry. Aslan is saying that - because Adam and Eve were created in the image of God - every human being is highly dignified so that even the lowest-status human beings (from a social point of view) have this foundational dignity. But it’s also true that because of the problem of our sinful nature, which leads all our off-target desires and behaviors, every human being also carries a legitimate sense of failure and moral guilt, which means that even the highest-status people (in social terms), like the greatest emperor, share in this shame.
C.S. Lewis put in a single quote what typically takes theologians hundreds of pages to express!
An accurate view of reality, ourselves, and our fellow humans is built on these two parallel truths: (1) We’re made in the image of God, and (2) We’re all broken, fallen and in need of redemption, restoration, and healing
Dr. Christopher Yuan presented these truths as the foundation of his description of an ethic of Holy Sexuality. His testimony and journey beautifully illustrate how far off the rails a human life can get, and how beautiful the love of God is and how deep it can reach. After hearing Dr. Yuan’s story, the words of Romans 5:8 have taken on an even deeper meaning for me: “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
One of the major takeaways from Dr. Yuan’s presentation is that for a Christian conversation about human sexuality (or any fraught subject) to remain on track, these two rails of truth need to be constantly affirmed. Without these truths, the engine of our reason and the caboose of our actions and behaviors get easily and quickly derailed.
If you missed Dr. Yuan’s presentation on Wednesday evening, Pastor Jeff and I will be facilitating a follow-up conversation this Sunday evening from 5:00-6:00 in the upstairs Gathering Area of Elmhurst CRC. There are so many tender and appropriate follow-up questions to ask and stories to share. But, I’m confident that with these two basic truths from the Bible to guide us, we can remain together and on track!
– Pastor Gregg