Week 6: Even Jesus Had a Body
The struggle is real
This week was all about the body in the Bible. Bodies are important to transgender and nonbinary people—the way they look, the way they are perceived. Perhaps one of the gifts that trans and nonbinary inclusion gives us is the way it offers cis-gender folks an opportunity to consider all the complex, complicated feelings we have about being embodied—about living in a physical body.
We began by talking about the phrase "your body is a temple" and naming the parts of our bodies we like, as well as those we don't like or want to hide. Then Brittany read a selection from She's Not There, by Jennifer Finney Boylan, that talked about her experience growing up as a trans child, feeling she was in the wrong body.
I struggled with this week's lesson more than most. I didn't disagree with anything in Hartke's book, and yet the discussion just didn't come as smoothly or easily as most. It wasn't until after our group time that it occurred to me that perhaps that's because I haven't resolved all my own feelings about my body. In my life as an academic and a pastor I spend most of my day "in my head." I don't spend much time thinking about or paying attention to my body. It makes me curious about all the complicated feelings we have about our physical bodies, and where that comes from. Is it the result of problematic messages in our culture or from our churches or our parents? What does a healthy theology of the body, the material, look like? Perhaps I'll get that all sorted out by the next time we offer this workshop—or perhaps we spend our whole lives trying to resolve these questions.
Speaking of culture…
Paul's writings give us some interesting ideas about our bodies. Some of his teachings even seem contradictory at times. Before we dig into those specific passages, it's helpful to look at his culture—the context in which Paul is writing, and how that might impact his view of what it means to be embodied.
At the time of Paul's writing, we see the very early beginnings of a philosophy called Gnosticism. Gnostics believed that the spirit or soul was good, but the material world, including the body, was evil. As a result, Gnostics would usually fall into one of two extremes: either asceticism– they would deny their body, try to suppress it by ignoring the natural needs for food and rest. Or they would engage in libertine behavior—sexual sins, gluttony, drunkenness etc—because they felt that what they did with their bodies didn't matter, as long as their soul was pure.
This was quite different from the Jewish context that Paul was raised in. The Hebrews didn't think of humans as divided—we are unified mind, body, soul and spirit. The image of God is woven through it all. So the body is part of who we are—sinner and saint, good and evil.
Paul's ministry as outlined in the book of Acts moves quickly from one focused on the Jewish community to one that is primarily among Gentiles (non-Jews). So it is perhaps not surprising that we can see the tension between these two very different views of the material world and our physical bodies quite a bit in his writings. And, as I ponder my own complicated relationship with my body, I wonder to what extent those
gnostic assumptions about the material world and bodies in particular are still influencing our culture and even our churches. I wonder how my own spirituality might be transformed by having a more holistic and integrated understanding of body, mind, and spirit.
Another binary?!? Flesh vs. spirit
We can see times in Paul's writings where he seems to set up a dichotomy between "flesh" and "spirit" that might echo those gnostic beliefs about the physical world. One such example is found in Romans 8:
Rom. 8:3-9: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace… But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Another familiar Pauline passage is relevant here: Gal. 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
This is an interesting passage to read in the context of this tension, because it can be read either way. It could be understood as saying that all the physical differences that exist in our bodies, including gender, don't matter. That they are insignificant. Which could be taken as a suggestion that we should stop obsessing over gender and gender expression and focus instead on the "higher things"—the things of the spirit. That could play out by allowing trans and nonbinary persons the freedom to fully express their authentic selves. But it could also be used to suggest trans and nonbinary persons should ignore their physical discomfort and focus instead on "higher things."
But the context of this passage can be helpful in drawing out Paul's intent:
Gal. 3:26-29: You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The context of the passage is baptism– our unity in baptism. Baptism is the symbol of inclusion—of being a part of the church, part of Christ. Paul is not saying that our bodies, our unique identities around race and nationality and gender don't matter. He is saying that all these categories of gender and race and status are not barriers to inclusion. This harkens back to the Ethiopian eunuch we looked at last week. The message of both Gal. 3:28 and Acts 8 is that the eunuch's question, "what will prevent me?"—a question rooted in barriers of race, nationality, and gender identity—is answered in God's affirming and inclusive welcome.
Our bodies are good
When we look at the entirety of Paul's writings, we find a much different perspective than the apparent dualism of Rom. 8. Paul frequently speaks positively of our embodiment—our existence in physical bodies. In particular, Paul twice uses our physical bodies as a very positive and extended metaphor for the church, which is where we get the phrase "body of Christ" as a synonym for Christian community. In both Rom. 12 and in 1 Cor. 12 he uses this metaphor to describe the beautiful diversity of the church. He talks of the community as a body with very different parts: eyes, ears, feet, arms—even what he calls "unpresentable parts"– which are nonetheless entirely necessary to our health and wellbeing. He emphasizes that each is important and essential, and the body is diminished if it doesn't have the full and complete diversity of all these very different parts.
And so Paul writes in 1 Cor. 12:18-21: God put all the different parts into one body on purpose. If all the parts were alike, where would the body be? They are, indeed, many different members but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” any more than the head can say to the feet, “I do not need you.” The extended metaphor concludes so beautifully in vs. 26-27: If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members share its joy. You, then, are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.
Paul's very use of the metaphor suggests he views the body positively. Our existence in physical bodies is important and meaningful. Paul is arguing in both Rom. 12 and 1 Cor. 12 that the members of the body are all quite different, and yet each is valuable. Note that Paul is not arguing for sameness here, but diversity. Our diversity—of race, of personality, of abilities, of ethnicity, of sexual orientation—and of gender identity and expression—are all part of the body of Christ. He is suggesting that the entire body is lessened or harmed when one part is absent. Next week we will be reminded of this as we look at the unique gift that transgender and nonbinary members bring to our Christian communities. Not only do those individuals suffer when they are excluded or sidelined, but the community itself suffers when one valuable part is missing.
Author Wil Gafney writes: "When we come to the table, we dine on love. When we come to that table we are one. Our differences don’t disappear; they bear witness to our love which is not reserved just for folk who are like us. When we get up from our knees, there is a whole wide world that needs that love."
Our bodies are really good—even holy!
But Paul goes even further than just saying our bodies are good. In 1 Cor. 3:16 and Eph. 2:19-22 he goes beyond that to describe our very bodies as living Temples of God. In Jewish thought, the Temple, and in particular the "holy of Holies" is the very dwelling place of God. So here Paul is saying that because the Holy Spirit lives in us, the Temple of God is people. WE are the dwelling place of God—our very bodies. That's a powerful image! Our bodies themselves are holy.
Which begs the question: Does the fact that our bodies are Temples of God mean that it is wrong to alter our bodies through gender-confirmation surgery?
It is worth noting that we don't seem to have this reluctance with other ways of altering our bodies, from ear piercings to cochlear implants and cataract surgery. My granddaughter, Luna, was born with a heart defect—a single ventricle heart. She was created that way—it's the way she was "knit in the womb." But the condition if left untreated is 100% fatal. Without medical intervention, she would have died within the first few weeks of life. But instead, she had three open heart surgeries, beginning on her second day of life. So many, many Christians prayed for her—and today she is healthy and thriving! But no one ever suggested that it was wrong to alter the body she was born with.
Some might argue "but that was to save her life." But if we remember the stats we looked at before, and the heavy toll of gender dysphoria on some transgender people, we can see that gender-confirmation surgery can also be life-saving.
So the point is: our bodies matter.
Jesus had a body
Which brings us to a core, central belief of the Christian faith: that Jesus is God with a body. In John 1:14 we read: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. For two millennia, Christians have believed that, in the person of Jesus Christ, God has chosen an embodied life, living and experiencing the fullness of humanity in a physical body.
Hartke quotes Asher, another wise trans Christian: "God coming as a child and then growing up and going through puberty, and having a human life with a human body—I think that declares once and for all unequivocally, undoubtedly, that flesh is hallowed. That our bodies are holy."
Then, having lived in a physical human body, Jesus dies a physical death. Further, when Jesus rises from the dead, there is still a physicality to it. There are some things about his post-resurrection body that are different. He seems to be able to appear and disappear, to walk thru locked doors. But some things are the same. He can be touched. He eats bread and fish. And, significantly, he still bears the scars of crucifixion.
Asher writes: "I take great comfort in the fact that when Jesus is resurrected, it's clear that he still has wounds. I mean, I would hope that they weren't painful anymore, but they're still there. It gives me great comfort that he still had scars, because as someone who's dealt with a lot of self-harm I still have a lot of scars, and they're part of who I am now. I wouldn't want them to go away, because they're part of my story."
What does abundant life look like for trans and nonbinary Christians?
Books written by or about queer Christians almost always begin with apologetics– with defending their very experience. And tragically that's necessary, because LGBTQ+ Christians have to combat a long history of Christians coming after them with words and even Bible verses of condemnation. But we lose something when queer Christians have to spend all of their time on defense and are never able to go deeper into the fullness of what life in Christ means for all of us. What does Jesus' promise of abundant life have for transgender Christians?
Hartke writes: "First, if Jesus came to bring abundant life to all who follow him, that means that transgender Christians should be able to stop spending every single bit of their energy defending themselves against those 'clobber passages' in order to concentrate instead on becoming better disciples. We should be able to move from survival practices to thriving faiths. Jesus didn't come to make things marginally more bearable. He came to give us abundant and eternal life…
"This is when trans Christians experience life in abundance—when they are welcomed into community; when they are loved for all of who they are; when their differences are respected; when they can count on their community to help with their daily human needs; and when they feel safe enough to drop their defenses in order to take on Jesus' gentle yoke of discipleship."
May this dream be abundantly true for each of us.
Homework / look ahead at next week:
As I came to recognize my own ambivalent feelings about my physical body, I've decided to take on a practice given to me by my spiritual director to tune into my body. If, like me, you don't spend a lot of time thinking or paying attention to your physical body, you might want to try it as well as part of this week's homework. Spend some time quietly tuning in to each part of your body. Notice where you are holding tension or pain, emotion or stress. Spend time thinking about how each part of your body—your feet, your arms, your lungs, your eyes—serves you and others. Ask what you can learn from your body. Spend some time noticing and being thankful for the gift each part brings.
This could be a helpful and healing prelude to this week's homework: For every person you see this week say (silently): you are holy and beautiful. How does it feel to affirm everyone, regardless of their physical appearance or conformity to any perceived standard? And please-- don't forget to say it to yourself in the mirror as well! Let's lean into exploring those complicated feelings about our physical bodies.
Optional: read Hartke conclusion. Next Monday will be our final session. I'm a bit ambivalent about that. It has been such a joy to hear your stories and see your courage as you've tackled this hard task of loving well. Our final session will focus on next steps: turning the theoretical into the practical.
Loving Jesus who came and lived among us, who experienced hunger and thirst, joy and pain, Jesus who danced and wept and drank wine and broke bread: Help us to embrace the body you gave us, even as we seek compassion for those whose embodied experience is different from our own.
We thank you for the feet that carry us to new places and the ears that help us to listen to one another. Thank you for the stories we share. Thank you for our arms that embrace, and our eyes that can see the beauty of the world you created. Thank you for the complexity and wonder of this physical world that you have given us as our home. Amen.