Rector's letter for March Fowey News
Dear Friends
The Bishops and the General Synod of the Church of England have recently been sending out some confusing, contradictory and mixed messages on the issue of sex and sexuality. Which begs the question: Why are Christians so weird about sex?
The Bible’s view of sex has always been shocking. In Old Testament times the surrounding cultures of Egypt and Assyria saw sex differently to the Israelites. Similarly, in the first century, Greco-Roman views of sex were worlds apart from those of the New Testament. Jesus’ followers have always had a radically different vision for sex.
For more than a millennia, as Christendom legislated the sexual morality of the wider culture, this difference has been difficult to see. What was counter-cultural in the Bible had became law in the West. But now that we are post-Christendom (something that many Christians as well as non-Christians are happy about), we are realising once again a truth that is obvious within the Bible: Christians are different – in fact, they are meant to be.
In a BBC documentary a couple years ago, in response to the comic Stephen K Amos who described himself as ‘a gay man’, the Pope replied that it was a mistake to major on the adjectives by which we seek to identify and describe ourselves rather than our common humanity. Jesus calls to recognise and value one another as someone made in the image of God - and therefore someone who has innate dignity - and as someone for whom Jesus died - and therefore is of infinite value and worth. There is an inherent equality to all people; we are equally created, but also equally sinful, fallen and flawed, and we can all be equally saved by Christ’s death and resurrection.
Jesus never flinched from anyone – no matter their background, no matter the flaws and failures and mess in their lives. The whole world is welcome at Jesus’ table, no matter their sexual history, sexual desires or sexual activity. “Am I welcome at his table?’ The answer of the Gospels is: ‘Yes, you are welcome.’ Your old life can never disbar you. And as you come to Jesus, he gives you a new life and a new way of living. The radical nature of following Jesus includes the bedroom. Whatever our history and whatever our situation, we come to Christ as we are, but we do not remain that way. He calls his followers to be different.
That difference includes a lifestyle where sex and marriage belong together. Sex is the physical expression of the marriage union, an enjoyment of the one-ness that marriage is, echoing and picturing a greater oneness: our union with Jesus. The ‘one flesh’ act belongs in the ‘one flesh’ relationship between a man and a woman for life, reflecting the faithful, exclusive, permanent love of Jesus, the bridegroom for his bride, his people.
Jesus shares his life, his future and his blessings with us for free and forever. With Jesus we don’t just get his things, we get him. In the same way the Christian believes that our earthly ‘one flesh’ relationships should be committed, faithful, life-sharing unions in which we give ourselves to our spouse. For this reason Christians don’t believe in sleeping around, we don’t believe in cheating on our spouse and we don’t believe in sex before marriage or outside marriage.
Such views might not be popular today in the West. And if you don’t claim Jesus as your Lord, why would you buy his sexual ethic? But Christians believe he is Lord, that his words are true whatever we feel about them, and he knows what’s good for us. It’s a package deal. So it comes down to trust. When he says his way means ‘life to the full’ (John 10v10), do we believe him? Down through history and across the world today, Christians have trusted Jesus said what he means and means what he’s said, and that’s why we’re weird about sex.
with every blessing
Philip