A Kiss

"…An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips…"

Proverbs 24:26 (NIV)

As I travel frequently, I often carry a pocket size leather bound (KJV) Bible that I bought in down town Kingston, Jamaica in 1992. Over the years I have found the tiny font growing even more minuscule, to the point I cannot read it comfortably anymore, even with varifocal glasses. So it was with much delight that I accidentally found a similar, but handbag sized larger print (NIV) Bible in a major booksellers in London . I have several Bibles for study and reflection, printed as regular paper and hard backs but the purchase of the older type with the traditional binding, is a loving experience; unwrapping the clear & clinging cellophane, caressing the leather binding, the slow controlled unzipping, the eventual opening and joy at the feel of the soft crispness of the new gold edged pages and the inevitable closing with an affectionate pat of affirmation for an excellent purchase. This one came with instructions on how to open it correctly, the flattening of the pages and the seasoning of the spine. As I flicked through to loosen the leafs I came to rest at the page with the above text. I hadn’t noticed it before and it seemed slightly erotic – the ambiguity of a kiss! My mind was suddenly filled with an old song from the 90s and I was surprised at the association. It was "Lets talk about sex baby, lets talk about you and me, lets talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be…" a mildly controversial song by Salt N Pepa. One not appropriate for a Posting I thought, until I visited Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire, later on it the day. As I entered one of the many side Chapels, I noticed a Bible on the lectern. I walked over and much to my amusement, I saw that it was opened at Proverbs 24. Selah! (pause, and calmly think of that) I thought. Coincidentally, the Jamaican newspaper, the Sunday Gleaner carried a summary of a report by an evangelical medical group, it was called – Christians and Sex: Sexual issues in the Church. Its reporter noted that 85% of Pastors surveyed raised sexual matters in their sermons at least once in a year.

So I began to unpack my verse, mindful that its meaning would differ depending on the historical context, the particular culture, the location and the nature of the relationship between the participants (the kisser and the kissed). As the text was sandwiched between verses on justice requiring impartiality and the importance of laying foundations by farming before building a house, it offered no further qualifications. I was left to my own understanding and its application to my present reality. I was also reminded of a lecture I attended last year, given by the African American Dr Randall C. Bailey, Professor of Hebrew Bible. International Theological Centre, Atlanta Georgia . Titled "The study of sex, sexuality and the Bible" he raised many eyebrows with his assertion that sexual language in the Bible is coded and one has to learn the codes to recognise them. He also indicated that the Bible is not univocal on sexual orientation and has multiple voices with multiple orientations. His talk was punctuated by specific references to the use of sexual imagery in Scripture. He saw the story of Ruth and Naomi as a demonstration of a survival strategy in a patriarchal society that enabled two lesbian women to raise their own child, through the sperm donation of Boaz.

I am often reminded of the sacredness of inclusivity; the acknowledgment that we are all made in the image of God. I recall Bishop John Shelby Spong’s deconstruction of the medieval view that women are not called to the priesthood because they are not made in the image of God. He graphically identified all the corresponding body parts that women have in relation to men. He then posed the question of whether the image of God resided in that piece of anatomy that women lacked and made men distinctly men.

Be assured, the body of Christ has no missing bits. We are a unified whole of wonderful parts; all reflecting the glory of God. It is all right to pray for honest and satisfying relationships. It is OK to pray for good sexual health and physical wellbeing. Every facet of our lives is of interest to the Divine. Nothing that we do or say, can ever separate us from the love of God. We have a firm assurance of this.

So therefore…

"Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God…" - Philippians 4.6 (Ampl.)

May the Holy Spirit of God satisfy your every need.

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