I stumbled upon an article on celibacy while casually reading at Boundless.org the other day (hopefully this whets your appetite so that you go on to read it too!). Perhaps you scoff or laugh at the concept of celibacy, as someone did when I mentioned I found an amazing article on the topic. You think it means a denial of sex, and that just seems like a stupid thing to even think about pursuing. Well, if you would permit me, I'd like to share just a few thoughts that leaped out at me and caused me to re-consider what celibacy at it's core is all about.
Check these quotes:
- “Sex is the energy inside of us that works incessantly against our being alone.” - Celibate priest Ronald Rolheiser, in his book, The Holy Longing
- “Sexuality ... is about overcoming separateness by giving life and blessing it. Thus, in its maturity, sexuality is about giving oneself over to community, friendship, family, service, creativity, humor, delight and martyrdom, so that with God, we can help bring life into the world.” - Rolheiser
- People...need to have a healthy sexuality and channel it in life-giving ways.
Unfortunately, our society has misconstrued sex and sexuality such that we have a hard time thinking of healthy sexuality that is not only about the act itself. God created each of us as sexual beings and intercourse is not the only outlet for our sexuality. If we allow ourselves to think about it, Jesus lived a healthy celibate lifestyle. In how many of the miracles Jesus performed can you remember that He touched people? Quite often. Think of a leprous person, shunned from the world and any intimate associations with other human beings. Besides the fact that Jesus healed him, can you imagine the magnitude of the impact another person freely touching him meant? If that's not love, I don't know what is. And, that is exactly the point - our sexuality is meant ultimately to bring life and love to others. Two men who were becoming priests told the author of the article that “Marriage is good, but celibacy is also good, because when you’re not tied to a specific person, you can open up your arms and embrace the whole world.”
Therefore, whether celibacy is for a season or life, I want to channel who God has made me to be to pour into and tenderly embrace in love the world around me. Ultimately, our end goal is spiritual union with God, which trumps anything expressed in our sexuality here on earth, single or married. May the passionate life-giving love God has bestowed on me be the source for all that I give back to Him and others.
So, celibacy... yeah, it's definitely a beautiful thing.
