Since the creation of the world the invisible qualities of God have been clearly seen and understood by the things he has made. And certainly this includes majestic mountains and flowing rivers, the mighty eagle in the sky and the sweet songbirds in the trees. But how much more our very bodies – masterpieces of the highest order? Our bodies speak and make visible the power and divine nature of God.
All too often we’ve either idolized the body or made it an irredeemable source of shame and embarrassment. And both extremes miss the mark.
Our bodies are better viewed as icons – pointing us back to the God who created us. As such, they have honor and dignity. Yet we should remain humble as we remember God is revealing himself through our created form.
Embodied as males and females, each gender is crafted to make visible different aspects of God.
For instance, males are the embodiment of divine strength. God is omnipotent – using his strength on behalf of others and consistently bringing more life and goodness into the world. And the male body points to and testifies of this reality.
And females are the embodiment of divine beauty. God is omni-beauty– comforting, inviting, inspiring, nurturing, and satisfying the soul in countless ways. And the female body provides tender glimpses of this reality.
We miss the glory of God when we see the body just as objects for our own sinful pleasures. But also when we hide in shame or otherwise despise the bodies God has given us.
To be sure, many things are not as they should be and our bodies bear the marks of this fallen world. All the same, let’s not miss God’s invisible qualities by turning a blind eye to the story written in our very bodies.
In the end, our bodies speak – making visible God’s divine nature in the world. Are you listening?
Photo by William Farlow on Unsplash
