Our civilization today banishes the death sentence as we have come to believe in the sacredness of life, hence we would not take what we cannot give. Capital punishment since WWII has been dropped from many civilized nations and there is lobby in many other countries for it to end too, no matter how heinous the crime is. However, our orientation about sacredness seems to be so limited as things considered erstwhile sacred are no longer seen as such.
For instance, a 15-year old student of a Melbourne school was praised for her reply to her school stating “…my body is not sacred!” Her school in apparent reaction to some cases of child molestation had admonished its students to wear skirts that fall below their knees. The reaction that trailed her response shows popular opinion on issues relating to sex, dressing, human body, marriage amidst a host of other things.
We have many high profile cases today where consent in sex is debated in our courts. Some man gets intimate with a woman he met barely minutes earlier. The woman alleges rape and the man defends himself with “facts” which sometimes the lady agrees to, that she consented to some sexual acts, but she stopped short of some further acts! There comes the dilemma at the courts as to what consent is or not, or to what extent it is given or by what it is implied. I reckon many give more thoughts to the coffee they drink than who they get intimate with. They will walk another 100meters to grab their favourite coffee but will jump at someone they barely know at the closest dark alley on the very same street! No thought is given to the person’s health history or possible diseases they have!
What if we consider sex sacred as we consider life? If we see it as a sacred relationship exclusive to married couples? If we accord the same sacredness to our bodies, marital vows, relationships and lifestyle? Some of the dilemma and scandals we seek to address in courts, families, businesses, government and communities will not exist.
Today, we seek to express our freedom through our bodies, sexuality, family units, relationships, lifestyle, career, etc. In achieving our freedom we do away with what we would call traditional or Judeo-Christian values associated with humanity.
To the human mind, seeing our lifestyle and institutions as scared is considered to be restrictive. However, true freedom and joy comes from according the right respect and values to our bodies and lives.
Jesus said “my burden is light and my yoke is easy”. He accords our lives sacredness and that made Him die at Calvary for our sins and we will find true freedom if we embrace His sacrifice.
