Saturday, August 18, 2007

tired lately

Negotiating life can be challenging at times. We have a new routine which while necessary for now, is taxing and I need to learn to get more sleep around it.

This reminds me of what I was reminded of by Lauren Winner, in her book, Real Sex: The Naked Truth about Chastity. We are humans and part of that humanity is our bodies. Because of them we have to get a certain amount of sleep, eat and drink, take a shower or bath (ha), etc.

There has been at least one version of Christianity that believed that as one grows in grace or in the Spirit, they perhaps can come to the place where they need little or no sleep at all. This sounds to me a kin to a gnostic, unbiblical error, carrying a Platonic disdain for the body which is not a mere shell of our real selves, but a part of our real selves, an indispensable part of our humanity.

In this life we get tired, have to sleep, even as Jesus did in his human life before his death and resurrection, and we die. God's answer in Christ is not some disembodied state in the clouds with celestial harps. It is the resurrection when our entire selves come to a new life in our Lord, participating fully then, in his resurrection.

Until then I need to get more sleep.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

the book looks iteresting. as for sleep, ah wonderful sleep, from the top of my head to the tips of my feet! in a fluffy bed... or in a car seat...wonderful, wonderful sleep! under a shade tree on a summer afternoon, swing on a porch swing, in a chair at the library, on a park bench, on the couch, by a fire, in a tent, wonderful, wonderful sleep! have a good snooze.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Nancy, How about this? While driving a car? I've tried that one a number of times and it doesn't work very well. So I've had to try other options, like ones you mention.

Anonymous said...

yep, that sleeping while driving business sounds a bit risky!