A Matter of Priorities: Body & Soul

     About a week ago someone on social media made the point that we should be caring about the body right now, not the soul.  The comment was made in the context of those dealing with the disappointment of churches being closed and supermarkets, hardware stores, certain businesses of a white collar nature, and abortion facilities staying open because they were deemed to be "essential".

     Now, be assured, I don't want to downplay the necessity of prudence when it comes to taking care of our bodily health.  God has given us bodies through which we experience the created world, and through it, come to know Him Who has created us for Himself.  Thus, good nutrition, appropriate exercise, shelter, and clothing are all important - along, now, with social distancing (which, by the way, is contrary to our human nature).

     However, we must be mindful of the proper end for our body: as defined above, "God has given us bodies through which we experience the created world, and through it, come to know Him Who has created us for Himself".  God has created us for Himself not as an owner to a pet or possession, but as a lover to a beloved; and He has created us for eternal communion with Him: thus, He didn't just create for us a body, which is not eternal, but also a soul, which IS!  (We can discuss another time "the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting" which we profess our belief in every Sunday.)

     So, what we need to recognize is that our life on earth is about preparing for eternal life in heaven.  While that generally means taking care of the bodies which God has given us, it is even more about taking care of the souls which are the imago Dei, or image of God within us.  Think of the Christian Martyrs who in recognizing and assenting, LIVING this truth were ready to give up their lives in this world in order to gain the eternal life of glory that has been promised for those who know, love, and serve God (as opposed to mamon) in this life.

     We must always remember what scripture tells us about the tragedy of gaining the whole world and losing one's soul. (cf. Matthew 16:24-28).  We don't all get to "heaven" simply by being born, or even by being "nice" people.  Heaven is about a relationship with God which is the life of intentional discipleship.  While heaven may be a "place", it is God's place, and we have to want to be with Him in order to be "there".

     So, while not underrating the need for prudence and the duty to care not only for our own body but for that of our neighbor, it is quite evident to me that when the present crisis is over there needs to be a real conversation, both within the Church and within our civil order, about the "necessity" of supporting the spiritual lives of our citizens and the public practice of our faith.  After all, faith is born, nurtured, and lived in community.  Our civil order needs to do better than give lip-service to the importance of religion, and we as a community of faith need to better understand what we are about and how that is lived.