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Friday, July 16, 2010

Day 194: Naked

Today's Reading: Micah

One day, each of us will face nakedness.

Today, I talked with a friend who is caring for her father as he goes through the process of dying. A once strong man with wit and courage, now lies in his bed, having to be tended by his children who feed him, bathe him and care for his toilet.

We get a glimpse of this humility every time we visit a doctor's office and are handed the open back hospital gown. Though we try to cover up our most vulnerable spots, the gown falls open, revealing our nakedness.

In scripture, nakedness was a created reality without shame until disobedience entered. Once marred by stubbornness and rebellion, nakedness became the very symbol of shame. The poor were shamed by their inability to keep clothed. The repentant or grieved tore their clothing in shame. The harlot was stripped to expose her sin to the world.

Micah tells the people, "You are naked, you are in shame. God sees the intimate places and all is disrobed before him. You cannot cover up the darkness of your hearts."

It is interesting to me that nakedness--the state in which we enter the world and in which we leave the world---is also the state when we can become most intimate with the one we love. And yet, it is something which is reserved for that relationship alone.

For another to strip us, is shameful.

Let us come naked before the one who truly loves us.

And let us make sure we have our spiritual garments in place when we are anywhere else.

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