A Holy Union of Bodies

Three Christians die around the same time and gather at Heaven’s gate. St. Peter welcomes them, but tells them that they have to pass a test before they can be admitted. ‘Don’t worry’, he adds, ‘these questions are easy enough’. The first question is, ‘What’s the name of the first woman who ever lived?’, ‘Eve’, the first Christian replies, ‘Right, you are through’, responds St. Peter happily. ‘Now where did she live?’, he asks again. ‘The Garden of Eden’, the second Christian responds, ‘Right, you are through!’ Turning to the third Christian in-line waiting, who was the principal of a catholic school in her days, ‘Now giving your background we have to make it a little more difficult for you. What did Eve say to Adam when she first saw him? ‘Phew’, she responds, ‘that’s a hard one!’ St. Peter smiled, ‘Right, you are through!’

Sex is instinctive and a physical expression of love. Sexual desire is part of our biological wiring and there is no need whatsoever for us spiritual folks to beat ourselves up over it. Yet, ‘lust’ is quite different—it is a craving of the mind. Look your attractive looking counterpart in the eye and realize that ‘lust’ has little meaning in this context. Beauty, yes. Craving to be together, absolutely! Yet, sexual longing in this situation is a joint occurrence. It’s an energy exchange. The Course in Miracles states, ‘You can see the Christ everywhere except in bodies.’ Well yes, but just as in the Garden before, in a holy union of bodies the Spirit is also present.