“Your body is a temple,” says Corinthians something or other. I’ve heard this quote bandied about by devout Christians, often in reference to its defecation. Tattoos, piercings and casual sex all seem to fall into the “don’t do” category. Treating your body like a temple means respecting it, keeping it holy and sacred for a higher power.
Like all biblical quotations, its use often becomes one-sided and a majority of people dismiss its wisdom like they would an annoying nag.
But what if we did treat our bodies with the same reverence we would devote to a temple? As a non-practicing Roman Catholic I have struggled with my views of religion. To put it bluntly and shortly (because I am not interested in actually having a religious discussion here) my beliefs do not include religion. I am more interested in the spirituality of the individual and its community than in any established edicts.
Yet I am willing to look towards older texts and admit when kernels of wisdom resonate. “Your body is a temple,” it says. What is a temple? Something that we would not desecrate, something that we would respect, something that we would honor. Something we should not fear.
For me, the idea of a temple conjures up a place to go where moments of silence are celebrated and one listens with an open heart.
Is our body a temple? A sacred open space where one can listen to receive answers? If so, what would those answers sound like? And if we heard those answers, would we trust them, knowing that the knowledge has come from within?
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