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| A flower-like fungus |
The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord,
and the Lord is for the body;
God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.
and the Lord is for the body;
God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.
Each morning for the past several years, along with some morning stretches and the Liturgy of the Hours, I sit on a “prayer bench” for a half-hour and breathe. It's really quite simple -- breathing is -- and wonderfully satisfying. But unless you suffer COPD or someone has water boarded you recently, you might not notice how satisfying it is to breathe.
With this simple exercise I want to pay attention to my breathing – in, out and pause; in, out and pause. When I breathe I notice the body God has given me. Were I to write a “theology of the body” I would start with the experience of breathing.
From the exercise I learn that I am a creature of earth, in communion with all the animals, plants, fungi and assorted other life forms of this planet. I learn also of communion with Jesus who walked the same earth, drank the same water and breathed the same air in which I live.
Sometimes, as I breathe I remember the cycles and rhythms of the earth; my breathing is only one of many cycles. There is my heart beat, somewhat faster than my breathing; and the circadian cycle of sleep, a slower revolution. The winds encircle the earth as they suck moisture from the sea and deposit it on land. They bring endless cycles of rain and drought, along with tons of minerals, sea salt, topsoil, seeds and eggs of every description.
Beyond the atmosphere are the cycles of the moon, which drags the tides hither and yon; and the solar year with its four seasons; and the sun’s stately processional around the Milky Way.
Everything changes continually. My body too is rotating through its cycle from infancy to old age. One day my family, friends and friars will return it to the earth from which it came. My nieces and nephews will breathe this lovely air when I have long sense died. It's fun to watch them growing up.
Cyclic life moves through these components of dirt, air, water and sunshine. As I breathe I take part in all that motion. I remember Saint Peter's remark on Mount Tabor, "Rabbi, it's good to be here."
With his confident knowledge of God, Saint Paul insists this body is "for the Lord." No one knows how that "resurrection of the body" might occur. But as I hope the Lord will find me worthy to save -- salvageable? -- I hope he will restore my breathing in eternity. Perhaps I will wake up one day to discover I am breathing his Easter Spirit though my bodily breath has ceased. I'm sure I will still enjoy the four winds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the change of seasons, and the Sun's processional around the Milky Way.
Breathing is good.
ReplyDeleteWhen birthing babies, I used LaMaze breathing techniques. You start with a deep, cleansing breathe then move onto a slow rhythmic breathing until each contraction has passed. No drugs are needed, you learn to work with your body and give birth to a new life. It is amazing.
I was astounded during work with other survivors, how often the therapist would say, "You need to breathe." I had no idea people, myself included, would stop breathing as we worked on a creative expression. I think it is an attempt to stop time and life. But breathing does come. And breathing can move you forward.