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Body as anchor

Time is filled with swift transition, but there are these unchanging realities we get to hold on to. And our very bodies are one of these anchors, grounding us in a in a truth that transcends time and culture. Let’s dive in.

The need for constants

Change is a natural part of life. The old is constantly being replaced by the new, requiring us to consistently adapt to new realities. But life quickly becomes very chaotic when we don’t have constants to hold on to in the midst of all this change. This is why, for example, kids are known to carry their teddy bears or their security blankets everywhere they go. It provides them security and anchor to hold on to as they enter into new environments.

But this is not just for the young kids. We can see this highlighted in many science fiction movies as well. Characters who move from one dimension to another time period to another often take with them some sort of totem to ground them in reality, giving them a constant in the midst of change. And we need these totems as well.

Changing generations

It’s clear that we live in a different time than our parents and certainly our grandparents. And our kids will enter into a much different world than the world that we grew up in. And cultural attitudes and norms also stand in stark contrast from one generation to the next.

And some would suggest that this evolution is why each generation and person must determine his own truth. Things change too quickly and we must be free to adapt to whatever seems right today. There is some truth here in that we must be flexible enough to adapt to the time and place that God has given us. But this doesn’t mean that we’re left on our own to figure things out, or that we get to do whatever seems right in our own eyes.

The male body as a constant

God has given us constants, anchors to hold on to, and our bodies serve as one of these touch points.

We don’t have to wonder about the basic design of Adam’s body. He was created as a male and had a functional male body just as we have a male body today. Abraham, Moses, David… and every man who has lived before us all had the bodies of men just as we do. And this is also true regardless of what continent we’re on or what culture we belong to. In every culture, in every generation, the male body has remained the same and will remain the same for every male yet to be born. This allows our body and the story it tells to be that totem…that anchor in the midst of everything else that’s changing.

And so when we question what it means to be a man in today’s society, our body is still giving us a clue. We don’t have to stress about what is considered politically correct or keeping up with the latest social science research, or what’s trending on social media or our local networks. We simply have to return to our body.

The story of the penis – a constant reminder of manhood

Our penis, for example, is a constant reminder that part of manhood calls us to offer our generative power to bring more life and goodness into the world around us. And every man has a body, and every man has a penis, and so we have no excuse for not learning the wisdom God reveals through it.

Contemplation of body as resistance to cultural chaos

Spending time contemplating our bodies is not mere naval gazing. It’s true many will try to make an idol of the body as an object to lust after, but we shouldn’t let these distortions rob us of the anchors that God has given us…that in some ways we contribute to the chaos when we allow this to happen because we are leaving ourselves ungrounded and adrift in life.

Particularly in a time such as this we need clear truths to hold on to and our bodies are God’s masterpieces that become a lifeline for our sanity, if we’re willing to see and listen to the story it tells.

Let the body be this totem for you an anchor to contemplate and keep you grounded in the midst of change.

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Check out my playlist on unveiling masculinity and let me know in the comments if there are other areas you like to contemplate more on. Until then, take care.