Some Thoughts About Running Around Naked.
Have you ever stopped and thought about the fact that there are millions of species of animals on this Earth and only one that wears clothes? Believe it or not this thought occurred to me as I was planning a sermon this past weekend.
Think about it, we are the only ones. And not only that, we are the only ones that notice. Do you think dogs ever look at each other and are like, "Hey Rex is naked!". Or do you think other dogs really notice when owners put those sweaters on their canine friends? I mean other than to laugh at them of course. But how is it that of all the creatures on Earth only one became so self conscience? I understand clothing for the purpose of staying warm or for protection for the elements, but beyond that, how did we get to wearing them when no other creature does? Why are we so obsessed with image and appearance. As the highest thinking creature on Earth, how did we become so concerned with something that really doesn't matter? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that we all start running around in our birthday suits, (most of us anyway........just kidding.......don't write me letters) I'm just wondering how we got to be so different.
What was interesting to me is that when Adam and Eve took of that fruit, or did whatever that fruit represented, the first effect was that they became aware that they were naked. For the first time ever a creature went, "Hey, I'm not wearing any clothes............and neither are you!"
Why? What made that so bad? When you think about it, the thing that really makes running around naked so awkward is the presence of other people. Most of us are fine with the idea of being naked until you introduce the idea of doing it in public. And for those of you who don't feel awkward about being naked in public, I assure you the public feels awkward about you.
You see, when nobody is around, we can be ourselves, we are more likely to be completely comfortable with who we are, but when you introduce others, all of a sudden our focus shifts from me just being me to what does that other person think of me. By covering up, we can be less concerned with what people might think of our bodies because now they can't see them. As a result, we tend to only accept the most physically perfect among us to show more of their anatomy, while the rest of us hide behind our clothing...........or should hide behind our clothing.
The same thing happens emotionally, instead of being "naked" emotionally, we hide our emotions from others. Just like revealing ourselves to another person physically, we take time to analyse and assess that person before we begin to reveal ourselves emotionally. We show them what we think they probably want to see from us, but hesitate in emotionally "baring all" until we are completely comfortable with them.
What is interesting is that Jesus said that if we are to experience heaven we have to come like a child. Now children have absolutely no problem running around naked. They don't think anything of it. They don't worry about how they look or what anyone will think. They will just run in all their glory and not worry about it. In fact, its not until we teach them that it is "wrong" to run around naked that they begin to become self conscience about their bodies. What is also interesting is that children also have no problem being "naked" emotionally. They will tell you exactly what they are feeling with no concern for what others might think. The are truly genuine and honest. In fact, its not until we start teaching them to tell grandma that "her meat loaf tastes good no matter what" that they start to become fake emotionally as well.
Children are the closest things we have to genuine people because they are the most real among us. It isn't until someone wounds them by laughing at them or making fun of something or chides them to "grow-up" that they start to become self conscience emotionally. Then bit by bit they begin to "cover up" their emotions, chipping away the rough edges they were born with and eventually sculpting themselves into whatever society dictates for them to survive. In the process, letting go little by little of who they really are, essentially becoming less and less the "human" they were made to be.
Is that what Jesus meant when He said to come like a child? Think about how much the presence of other people affect the things we say or do. In one crowd we act one way, in another crowd we act another way. We always feel refreshed when we feel we can "be myself" around someone. Maybe part of heaven is learning to "be myself" around everyone. Only then can people really determine if they like us for who we are or not because they get to see that person. Essentially, I guess I'm wondering if our world might not be a better place if we all learned to be more like little kids and spent a little more time running around naked...........emotionally I mean.
Think about it, we are the only ones. And not only that, we are the only ones that notice. Do you think dogs ever look at each other and are like, "Hey Rex is naked!". Or do you think other dogs really notice when owners put those sweaters on their canine friends? I mean other than to laugh at them of course. But how is it that of all the creatures on Earth only one became so self conscience? I understand clothing for the purpose of staying warm or for protection for the elements, but beyond that, how did we get to wearing them when no other creature does? Why are we so obsessed with image and appearance. As the highest thinking creature on Earth, how did we become so concerned with something that really doesn't matter? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that we all start running around in our birthday suits, (most of us anyway........just kidding.......don't write me letters) I'm just wondering how we got to be so different.
What was interesting to me is that when Adam and Eve took of that fruit, or did whatever that fruit represented, the first effect was that they became aware that they were naked. For the first time ever a creature went, "Hey, I'm not wearing any clothes............and neither are you!"
Why? What made that so bad? When you think about it, the thing that really makes running around naked so awkward is the presence of other people. Most of us are fine with the idea of being naked until you introduce the idea of doing it in public. And for those of you who don't feel awkward about being naked in public, I assure you the public feels awkward about you.
You see, when nobody is around, we can be ourselves, we are more likely to be completely comfortable with who we are, but when you introduce others, all of a sudden our focus shifts from me just being me to what does that other person think of me. By covering up, we can be less concerned with what people might think of our bodies because now they can't see them. As a result, we tend to only accept the most physically perfect among us to show more of their anatomy, while the rest of us hide behind our clothing...........or should hide behind our clothing.
The same thing happens emotionally, instead of being "naked" emotionally, we hide our emotions from others. Just like revealing ourselves to another person physically, we take time to analyse and assess that person before we begin to reveal ourselves emotionally. We show them what we think they probably want to see from us, but hesitate in emotionally "baring all" until we are completely comfortable with them.
What is interesting is that Jesus said that if we are to experience heaven we have to come like a child. Now children have absolutely no problem running around naked. They don't think anything of it. They don't worry about how they look or what anyone will think. They will just run in all their glory and not worry about it. In fact, its not until we teach them that it is "wrong" to run around naked that they begin to become self conscience about their bodies. What is also interesting is that children also have no problem being "naked" emotionally. They will tell you exactly what they are feeling with no concern for what others might think. The are truly genuine and honest. In fact, its not until we start teaching them to tell grandma that "her meat loaf tastes good no matter what" that they start to become fake emotionally as well.
Children are the closest things we have to genuine people because they are the most real among us. It isn't until someone wounds them by laughing at them or making fun of something or chides them to "grow-up" that they start to become self conscience emotionally. Then bit by bit they begin to "cover up" their emotions, chipping away the rough edges they were born with and eventually sculpting themselves into whatever society dictates for them to survive. In the process, letting go little by little of who they really are, essentially becoming less and less the "human" they were made to be.
Is that what Jesus meant when He said to come like a child? Think about how much the presence of other people affect the things we say or do. In one crowd we act one way, in another crowd we act another way. We always feel refreshed when we feel we can "be myself" around someone. Maybe part of heaven is learning to "be myself" around everyone. Only then can people really determine if they like us for who we are or not because they get to see that person. Essentially, I guess I'm wondering if our world might not be a better place if we all learned to be more like little kids and spent a little more time running around naked...........emotionally I mean.
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