Take me right out of my comfort zone, comfort zone

Tomorrow, I have an awesome guest post to share with you, by one of my good blogging buddies. I think you’re going to love it. Today, I have a short, raw, green story and a question. I haven’t really edited, because it’s so fresh.

 

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was comfortably comfortable. She knew who she was and what she wanted and went after it. She held fast to the Bible like a security blanket. She knew Christ and followed his teachings as she understood them, but, then… something kept telling her that there was more.

…The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same. -Luke 3:11

 

She wasn’t loving her neighbor as herself, not quite. She wasn’t giving away a coat when she had two. She would store up resentment over a past wrong.

This girl, while a nice enough person, would rail about that one guy, online, who was a complete moron, and hope to Heaven he lost his internet connection permanently, instead of learning to love someone with whom she disagreed. Once upon a time, this comfortably comfortable girl became restless, sleepless, and ultimately uncomfortable.

The Bible does what journalism is supposed to do: Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Be comforted and made uncomfortable today.

What Scriptures take you out of your comfort zone, and stretch you to your limit?

Biblical View of Boobies

In the month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’d like to advance a controversial conclusion: I think Jesus would take a pro-stance on breast self-exams. That’s right, and I’m going to try to prove it using the Bible. The Bible loves bodies and boobies and I think it’s time we loved them, too. I’ve noticed more than a few students coming to class with Boobies bracelets and Save the Tatas t-shirts, and I think that might be just What Jesus Would Do, though, maybe more subtly.

I would put other boobies, but I've been told that's inappropriate

 In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul says, ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.” To be truthful, that comes after a list of sexual sins people commit, but I think it can be applied to taking care of our bodies, keeping our temples as healthy as possible, taking care of the gift we have received. Medical knowledge has come a long way; that knowledge, I believe, is God-given, and so, doing what we can to take advantage of the advantages seems like a way to honor God with our bodies.

Breasts are pretty awesome, and I’m fairly sure that my female and heterosexual male friends agree. I know this by the number of you who are fans of Victoria’s Secret on Facebook. Breasts feed children. I guess cows can boast that, and then some, but I was amazed at how intricate and yet simple the act of breastfeeding children is. I am a big fan of the amazing results we saw with breast milk, and how good it is for baby, mom, the environment and society (disease reduction). I have some amazing friends who donated milk to the milk bank for babies who could not nurse and mothers who had none. Mary was complimented on her breast-power when the crowd, gathered to see Jesus, called out “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and the breasts that nursed you” Luke 11:27. To have one’s breasts immortalized would be daunting, but since I’m neither Mary nor Heidi Klum, I suppose I will not have to deal with that. Whew.

Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) has a ton to say about Boobies. SoS 4:5 says “Your two breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies.” SoS 7:7-9 “Your stature is like that of a palm and your breasts are like clusters of fruit. I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit.’ May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine…” In 8:10, it says, “I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers, Thus I have become in his eyes like one bringing contentment.” Those breasts have some real metaphorical force!

God, through Ezekiel, claimed that Jerusalem was like a young girl and “I made you grow like a plant of the field, You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, you who were naked and bare.” Let’s summarize backward, God thinks breasts are beautiful, they provide contentment to lovers and suckle children and as part of the temple of the Holy Spirit, deserve to be respected and healthy.

If you haven’t done so already, feel yourself up or make your annual mammogram appointment, because we can save boobies, which, like all the 2000 parts of our bodies, are precious in his sight.

*please don’t flame me… I just think this is important.